JPH0467667B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to image information storage in which processing for storing image information on the same storage medium and processing for storing search information to be added to the image information are performed separately. Regarding search methods.

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, when image information is stored in a large-capacity storage medium such as an optical disk, search information is also stored in the same way for convenient reading.

Conventionally, the methods for storing this search information are as follows:
There is a document unit registration method in which the operator inputs search information for each document and the image is read by a scanner and stored together, and a method in which search information for multiple documents is input at once and stored in the main memory or external memory. A batch registration method is known in which the search information is temporarily stored in the device, the search information is displayed on the CRT display device, the operator reads the image while confirming it, and the two are stored in association.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the former document-by-document registration method has a problem in that it takes a long time to input search information, and therefore it also takes a long time to input image information.

On the other hand, the latter method has a problem in that if the search information is final, image information cannot be registered and immediate processing cannot be performed.

The above-mentioned problem arises for the following reasons. That is, when image information is recorded on a storage medium, management information including its address information and search information is also stored. Therefore, if the search information is not determined by the final step of image information, a document with incomplete search information or no search information will be generated on the storage medium. Furthermore, when a write-once non-rewritable optical disk is used as a storage medium, additions and modifications are not easy.

The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and allows documents that are generated one after another to be quickly registered without search information. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for storing and retrieving image information that can be added.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is characterized in that a storage medium is provided with an image information storage area, a management information storage area, and a search information storage area in advance.

Effects With the above-described configuration, the present invention first stores image information and management information in a storage medium, reproduces the image information and displays it on a CRT display, etc., and registers search information after visual confirmation.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image information storage and retrieval apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a main control device that controls the entire device of the present invention; 2 is a scanner that is a two-dimensional scanning reading device for inputting original images such as documents and drawings into the device; and 3 is a device that outputs and stores image information. This is a printer for printing.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a CRT display device, which displays the original image read by the scanner 2, reproduces and outputs image information stored in this device, and is designed to allow visual confirmation of the image information. High resolution is desirable. The CRT display device 4 also displays a text screen to the operator.

A keyboard 5 is used by the operator to input necessary information according to the text screen and to give instructions to the entire apparatus. Reference numeral 6 denotes a band compression circuit for suppressing the hole length of the image information read by the scanner 2, a page memory device capable of storing at least one page of compressed image information, and a compressed image. This is a device consisting of a band expansion circuit for restoring information to its original amount. Reference numeral 7 denotes an optical disk device, which is a device for storing the aforementioned compressed image information.

A search device 8 stores search information input from the keyboard 5 in accordance with the text screen displayed on the CRT display device 4 at the time of document registration. When searching, by giving the necessary keyword to the search device 8 from the keyboard, the management number (hereinafter referred to as document number) on the optical disk of the image information to which the search information has been added can be obtained, and the desired image information can be found. It is reproduced by the optical disk device 7 and provided to the operator. Reference numeral 9 denotes a communication control device, which transfers image information stored on the optical disk to a facsimile device (not shown) at a remote location via a line.

FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the main controller 1 shown in FIG. 10 is a CPU, main controller 1
It performs overall input/output control. Reference numeral 11 denotes a main memory section, which stores information and data necessary for the operation of the CPU 10.
Reference numerals 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 are interface parts that connect the main controller 1 with each of the devices 8, 4, 5, 2, and 3, 6, 7, and 9 that constitute the image information storage and retrieval device. Yes, inside the main controller 1,
Each is connected by a CPU bus, raw image information bus, and compressed image information bus.

In the image information storage and retrieval device configured as described above, the operation of separately registering documents (image information) and search information will be described.

First, FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the storage format of an optical disk, and the information stored on the optical disk is roughly divided into image information and management information. Furthermore, the management information includes optical disk management information consisting of identification ID information, which is information unique to one optical disk, storage area definition information of various management information, etc., and document 1, which consists of image information of one or more pages of the original. The document management information is divided into document management information, which is information that indicates the location of the image information in the storage area to the user, and search information, which is added later to registered documents. Note that, in the registration method in which input of the original image and search information are performed at the same time, the search information is included as part of the document management information, and is therefore stored in the document management information storage area. Further, the document number is uniquely determined in the order in which the document management information is stored on the optical disk.

Figures 4 and 5 are schematic flowcharts showing the operation of split registration according to the present invention, with Figure 4 illustrating the advance registration of the manuscript, and Figure 5 the operation of post-input of search information, respectively. .

First, when the operator selects document advance registration in FIG. 4, in step (hereinafter referred to as ST) 1, the number of registered documents is detected from the document management information storage area of the optical disk, and the document number of the document to be registered is detected. Calculate and create a text screen containing this
It is displayed on the CRT display device 4. Continued ST2
Then, the registration method specified by the operator is determined according to the text screen, and the process branches.

Here, confirmation registration refers to transferring the original read from the scanner 2 to the CRT display device 4 and displaying it.
This is a method of registering while giving the operator a visual confirmation timing.Continuous registration is a method in which the original read by the scanner 2 is transferred to the page memory device 6, stored as is in the optical disk device 7, and the operator is given the same timing as described above. This is a registration method that does not provide a timing for visually checking the scanned original.

First, we will explain confirmation registration. In ST3, the scanner 2 reads the original image, and the image information is transferred from the interface section 14 to the CRT display device 4 via the raw image information bus and the interface section 13 for display. Next, in ST4, after giving the operator the timing for visual confirmation, the CRT
The display on the display device 4 is switched to a menu screen, and execution is branched according to the operator's instructions. When re-reading is instructed, the process returns to ST3, cancels the scanned document, and repeats the scanner reading operation.

On the other hand, if you select registration instructions, start from ST4.
Proceeding to ST5, the image information is transferred from the CRT display device 4 to the band compression/expansion circuit page memory device 6 via the interface section 13, the raw image information bus, and the interface section 15, and the band compression circuit makes holes in the image information. The length is suppressed, the compressed image information is stored in the page memory device, and the process proceeds to ST7.

Next, to explain the continuous registration (ST6) that branches off at ST2, the document image is read by the scanner 2, and the image information is sent to the band compression/expansion circuit and the page via the interface section 14, raw image information bus, and interface section 15. The compressed image information is transferred to the memory device 6, the hole length of the image information is suppressed by a band compression circuit, and the compressed image information is stored in the page memory device.
Proceed to ST7. That is, in this continuous registration, the image display described above (ST3) is not performed.

In ST7, compressed image information is stored in page memory device 6.
From there, the data is transferred to the optical disc device 7 via the interface unit 15, the compressed image information bus, and the interface unit 16, at the same recording speed as the optical disc, and is stored on the optical disc. Next, in ST8, it is determined whether or not there is an additional page (manuscript) in the document being registered, and if there is an additional page, the processes of ST2 to ST7 are repeated. If there are no additional pages, the registration of the document is ended and the process proceeds to ST9.

Next, registration of document management information in ST9 will be explained. As shown in Figure 3, the document management information of an optical disk consists of a document identifier consisting of a document number, etc., various extended area address pointers pointing to the search information storage area, page management information pointing to the storage location of image information, and search information. Become.

In ST9, when pre-registering a document, it is empty because no search information is entered, and an area is reserved in the search information storage area on the optical disk to store search information that will be added to this document later. do.
That is, various extended area address pointers point to areas within the search information storage area in advance and reserve those areas. The storage area within this search information storage area is secured from the beginning of the area. Therefore, storage space is secured in the search information storage area on a one-to-one basis for documents that have been pre-registered, so the search information stored in the search information storage area has a document number. It will not be continuous. The generated document management information is stored in a predetermined area of the document management information storage area of the optical disk via the interface unit 16.

Next, a description will be given of the operation of later inputting search information to a manuscript pre-registered document to which no search information has been added as described above.

In FIG. 5, when the operator selects post-input of search information, the process proceeds to ST10, where documents registered on the optical disk for which search information has not yet been input are checked. This is done using document management information stored on the optical disk. First, search for the document management information extended area address pointer pointing to the search information storage area, that is, the document advance registration, and then read out the pointed area in the search information storage area from the optical disk. . If the document has not yet been stored in this area, it can be determined that the document is a search information-added document. Furthermore,
The document number of the detected search information end-added document is checked and a menu screen is displayed on the CR ID display device 4.

In ST11, the document management information of the document number specified by the operator using the keyboard is read from the optical disk device 7, and is imported into the main storage unit 11 via the CPU bus. In the subsequent ST12, image information is read from the optical disk device 7 based on the page management information of the document management information, and reproduced. Transfer to 6,
Store in page memory device. In ST12, the stored compressed image information is restored by the band expansion circuit 6, transferred via the interface section 15, the raw image information bus, and the interface section 13, and displayed on the CRT display device 4.

In ST14, after giving the operator the timing to check the document (original), the CRT display device 4
The display is switched to a text screen, and the search information input by the operator from the keyboard is imported into the main storage section 11. Then, in ST15, the search information generated in the main storage section 11 is stored in a predetermined area within the search information storage area of the optical disk. Next, in ST16, the search information and the document number are transferred to the search device 8 via the interface section 12 and stored.
Finish the post-input process of search information.

As described above, one embodiment of a split registration method for registering documents (image information) and search information separately has been described. However, this invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications can be made without changing the gist. Of course.

Effects of the Invention As explained above, the present invention separates the document management information storage area and the search information storage area of the storage medium, so that the process of storing image information and the process of storing search information can be separated. Therefore, the document image can be stored quickly, and the search information can be stored after the image is stored.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image information storage and retrieval device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the main controller shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a format diagram of an optical disk, and FIG. 5 is a schematic control flow diagram showing advance manuscript registration, and FIG. 5 is a schematic control flow diagram showing post-input of search information. 1... Main control device, 7... Optical disk device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An area for storing image information in advance on a storage medium, an area for storing document management information for managing image information on a document-by-document basis, and an area for storing image information and search information for searching on a document-by-document basis. If the search information is not stored when storing the image information in the storage medium, data to that effect is stored in the document management information, and the search information is stored in the search information storage area using the data of this document management information. An image information storage and retrieval method characterized by: