JPS60244148A - image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile machine or a copying machine that has a function of handling audio signals.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, this type of device equipped with image reading and printing functions handled only images and did not transmit audio signals simultaneously with image signals. For this reason, it has been difficult to simultaneously record audio, such as a human voice, which cannot be expressed using images alone. On the other hand, when transmitting images to a remote location using a facsimile device, etc., the contact information for the other party,
For example, it is often necessary to send audio information such as the number of sheets to be sent or a message to a specific person. In addition, it is often convenient to visualize audio related to explanations and the like and print and record them on the same sheet of paper together with images of blueprints and the like.

[Purpose] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention converts audio into a signal, visualizes the audio signal on the printing side, and prints the audio and image on the same sheet of paper, thereby simultaneously producing audio and images. The purpose of this invention is to relate to an image forming apparatus that is capable of recording and storing information.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that encodes and synthesizes both an audio signal and an image signal, and transmits the synthesized signal.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of the device of the present invention. Here, 1
00 to 600 are devices on the image reading side, 100 is a microphone that converts audio into electrical signals, 200 is an encoder that encodes and compresses audio signals, 300 is a memory that temporarily stores audio signals, and 400 is for reading original images. League, 500 is the pressure 1i to compress the image signal! device, and 8
00 is a synthesis device that synthesizes an audio signal and an image signal in a predetermined format.

A message voice such as an explanation of the manuscript is converted into an analog voice signal by the microphone 100, and the A/D signal of the encoder 200 is converted into an analog voice signal.
The signal is encoded and compressed by (analog/digital) conversion, then converted into a serial digital audio signal, and temporarily stored in the memory 300 in order to be combined with a serial image signal, which will be described later.

On the other hand, the image of the document is read by the reader 400, converted into a digital image signal by rough A/D conversion, compressed by the compression device 500, and sent to the synthesis device 600 after parallel-to-serial conversion. In response to the start of reading, a serial digital audio signal is read from the memory 300, and the serial digital image signal from the compression device 500 is concatenated with this audio signal to synthesize a series of signals, which is then transmitted to the printing side.

At that time, when reading from the memory 300 and when converting the image signal from parallel to serial.

By adding an EOL (end of line) signal, the EOL can be set in a predetermined loft unit (for example, line unit) between the audio signal and the image signal in the composite signal, and in the image signal.
By intervening signals and making the number of successive intervening EOL signals smaller than the number of consecutive EOL signals that are normally added to the end of one page, it is possible to easily distinguish between the audio data part and the image data part in the composite signal. Do it like this.

Further, 700 to 1200 are printing side devices, and 700 to 1200 are printing side devices.
1000 is a separating device that extracts only the audio signal portion from the received composite signal; 1000 is a memory that temporarily stores the separated audio signal to output it at any time; and 1100 is a memo IJ.
Decode the digital audio signal read from 100O,
A decoder for D/^ (digital-to-analog) conversion, and a speaker 1200 for converting analog audio signals into audible audio. Furthermore, 800 is a decoding device that decodes the compressed digital image signal in the composite signal into a pre-compressed signal, and 900 is a printer that visualizes and prints the image signal and the audio signal, and the audio signal is compressed. printed on the same sheet of paper along with the image in digital image format.

The digital image signal part in the previous issue is decoded by the decoding device 800, and sent to the printer 900 along with the compressed digital audio signal in the composite signal, and the same paper is sent to the computer. Print the top four. At this time, the audio portion is printed at a predetermined position on the paper.

At the same time, the separating device 700 separates and extracts only the digital audio signal portion from the composite signal, and the memo IJ100
Temporarily stored in O and memo IJ100 according to the operator's specifications.
The signal is read from O, converted into an analog audio signal by the decoder 1100, and converted into audible audio by the speaker 1200. In this way, the audio No. 46 can be visualized and recorded on the paper along with the image, and at the same time, it is possible to listen to the explanation of the printed image in real voice.

FIG. 2 shows a paper 85 printed by the printer 800 in FIG.
An example of printing on 0 is shown. Here, 951 is an audio recording area;
Reference numeral 852 is an image recording area, and both side areas are usually set at predetermined positions in advance. Note that the audio recording area is not necessarily provided on the same side as the image, but may be provided on the back side of one image recording. In addition, X if the main scanning direction and Y indicate the sub-scanning direction.
51, the A/D converted and compressed digital audio signal can be visualized and recorded.

Furthermore, to reproduce the audio recording signal recorded in the audio recording area 851 on the paper θ50 into audio, it is possible to create a dedicated device that reads only the audio part and reproduces it into audible audio, but it is possible to reproduce the audio recording signal recorded in the audio recording area 851 on the paper θ50. By shorting the device 700 with an appropriate switch, the reader 400 reads the audio recording portion, and the read digital audio signal is sent to the decoder+.
Convert to analog audio signal with 100 and output to speaker 1200
It can also be easily obtained by converting it to audio.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which a data compression device 500 and a decoding device 800 are modified from the uninvented embodiment of FIG.
This is the case when it is configured by removing . Therefore, since compression encoding and decoding of the image signal are not performed on the large side, the data transmission efficiency is lower than that of the previous embodiment, but the configuration is relatively simple.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the above-mentioned encoder 200 that encodes and compresses an audio signal. Here, 210 to 21G are comparators and microphone lo.

A/D conversion is performed linearly on the analog audio signal from 7 bits into 7-bit digital signals AD8 to ADO. 241 and 2
42 is an OR circuit that compresses the A/D converted digital signal. That is, digital audio signals AD6-^DO linearly A/D-converted by comparators 210-216 are input to AND circuits 221-224 and inverters 231-2.
34, OR circuits 241 and 242 generate a nonlinear 3-bit parallel digital signal VD2.VDI.
and encoded and compressed into VDO. At this time, since the AND circuits 221 to 224 and the inverters 231 to 234 are connected between the comparators 210 to 216 and the OR circuits 241 and 242 as shown in the figure, the OR circuits 241 and 242
Output signal V[]2. V[]1. The VDO looks like this:

VDQ=AD3 V[)! -ADI-AD3+AI+5 VD2-ADO・AD1+AD2-AD3+A[14-
A[15+AD8 This parallel audio signal VD2~VDO
is further converted into a serial signal 260 by a parallel-serial (parallel-serial) converter 250 and sent to the memory 300.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the internal configuration of the above-mentioned reader 400 for reading a document.As shown in FIG.
After being reflected by the original 401 on the original tj & apparatus, the reflected light image of the original 401 is focused by a condenser lens 404 and received by a solid-state image sensor (COD) 405 . At this time, scanning of the original 401 in the main scanning direction is performed (
ill:0405, and scanning in the sub-scanning direction is performed by moving the CCI (CCI) 405 together with the optical system relative to the original 401 using a motor (not shown).

As a result, the image of the original 401 is sequentially scanned page by page, and CC, 0405 provides analog 1t and % signal 4.
Convert to 06. The converted analog @%40B is amplified by an amplifier 410, converted to a digital signal 450 by an A/D converter 420, and further subjected to parallel-to-serial conversion, and the converted serial image signal 450 is sent to a compression device 5.
Send to 00. At this time, an image clock signal 480 and a video enable (VE) are output from the clock signal generator 440.
This image clock signal 460 controls the timing of sending the digital image signal 450 to the compression device 500.

FIG. 8 shows an example of the configuration of the main parts of the above-mentioned A/D converter, where 4!1 is an image amplifying section constituting the above-mentioned amplifier 410, and 412 is its feedback resistance.0 As shown in the figure, The analog image signal amplified by the amplifier 410 is converted into 4-bit digital image signals 03-Do by the voltage dividing resistor ladder 421-425 of the A/D converter 420 and the high-speed comparator groups 430-433.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the configuration of the above-mentioned compression device 500. In this example, a run-length data compression method using a one-dimensional MH (Modify Id Hafine) encoding method is shown. Here, 510 is an input from the reader 400. A change point detection circuit 52o detects a change point at which a pixel of a digital image signal changes from white (low level) to black (high level) or from black to white; 52o is an output signal 51 of the change point detection circuit 510;
This is a run length counter circuit that counts the number of consecutive black or white colors using 6 as a load signal. Further, 530 is an MH code table RAM (read-only memory) in which corresponding MH codes are stored in advance with the run lengths (consecutive numbers) of the white and black seas as addresses, and the output signal 521 of the run length counter circuit 520 is used as a counter. Accessed as an address. Furthermore, 540 is a ROM
550 is a parallel-to-serial conversion circuit that converts the packed M)I code 541 into a serial signal 560. .

FIG. 8 shows an example of the configuration of the main parts of the above-mentioned change point detection circuit 510. Here, 511 is a D flip-flop 7' (D-FF) for signal delay, 513 is an exclusive off circuit, and 515 is a signal delay circuit. This is an inverter for reversing.

The digital image signal 450 is branched and one is inputted to one input terminal of the exclusive OR circuit 513, and the other is inputted to the other input terminal through the D-FF 511. The image signal 450 input to the El-FF 511 appears at the output terminal Q2 with a delay of one clock of the clock signal 480 (see FIG. 9).

Therefore, in the exclusive OR circuit 513, a change point detection signal 514 is obtained which becomes 0° when the phases of both the image signals 512 and 450 input to the input terminal match, and becomes "1" when they do not match. (See Figure 9). This change point detection signal 514 is inverted by an inverter 515, and
A counter load signal 516 is obtained and sent to a run length counter circuit 520.

As a result, the above-mentioned counter load signal 51B has its rising point at the point where the image signal 512 changes from white to black or from black to white.

The run length counter 520 receives the counter load signal 51
The pixel clock 450 counts the time until it falls, and outputs the result as a continuous number of counter addresses 521 (see FIG. 9). MH code table ROM 530 is accessed by counter address 521 to generate the corresponding MH code.

In the example of FIG. 8, the MH code at this time is as follows.

Run length MH need white run -20111 black run 2 11 white run 4 +011 black run 310 This MH code 531 is packed by the byte pack circuit 540, and further converted into a serial digital image signal 560 with EOL added by the parallel-serial conversion circuit 550 do.

As a result, the MH code becomes a serial data signal 580 as shown below.

000000000001 0111 Self 1 1011
10 EOL White run 2 Black run 2 White run 4 Study/3 However,
EOL is END OF LINE.
), and the code is (000000000001), which is added to the beginning of one page and the end of each line, as shown in FIG. 12, which will be described later. In this way, in this example, data is compressed by the MH method, so that the data transmission property can be improved. Furthermore, the application of other data compression methods is also possible.

Here, 610 is a gate signal generation circuit that generates the gate signal θ21, 822 is an AND circuit that opens the gate when the gate signal 821 is at H (high) level and passes the image signal 560, and 823 is an inverter that inverts the gate signal 621.
624 is an AND circuit that opens the gate when the inverted signal of the inverter 623 is at H level and passes the audio signal 280;
The inverter 623 is used to switch the gate number 823. Further, 625 is the audio signal 28 from the AND circuit 624.
This is an OR circuit that synthesizes the image signal 560 from the AND circuit 622 and the composite signal 630 of "image + audio".
is sent to the separation device 700.

Gate signal 62! switches from the L (low) level to the H level at the timing shown in FIG. 11, for example. As a result, a composite signal 830 is extracted from the OR gate 625, in which the first line to the third line of the format is an audio signal area, and the fourth line and subsequent lines are an image signal area.

In FIG. 11, the VE signal 470 is a signal indicating the effective period of one line of the video signal.

FIG. 12 shows a detailed configuration example of the format of the synthesized signal 630 output from the above-mentioned synthesizer 600.

The EOL code shown in the figure may be added by the synthesis device 800, but the EOL of the audio signal area may be added when audio data is read from the memory 300, and the EOL of the image signal area may be added at the time of parallel-to-serial conversion.

In addition, the EOL between lines is single, but the EOL between audio data and image data is 2, and the EOL at the end of the page is 3, and the number of EOLs is different to differentiate between the audio part and the image part. It is clear, and the end of the page is also clear.

FIG. 13 shows a configuration example of the above-mentioned separation device 700- for signal separation. Here, 710 is a gate signal generation circuit that generates the gate signal 721, 722 and 723 are AND circuits, and 724 is an inverter that inverts the gate signal 721. The composite signal 630 is input to one input terminal of the AND circuit v8722, and the gate signal 7 is input to the other input terminal.
Enter 21. Further, the composite signal 830 is input to one input terminal of the AND circuit 723, and the inverted signal of the gate signal 721 inverted by the inverter 724 is input to the other input terminal. This gate signal? 21 to synthesizer 60
Since it is generated in the same phase as the gate signal 621 of 0, the AND circuit 723 outputs the audio signal 7.
Only the image signal 730 is taken out from the AND circuit 722.

FIG. 14 shows an example of the configuration of an optical system when a laser printer is used as the printer 800 described above, and FIG. 15 shows its NP configuration.
An example of the internal configuration of the image forming system of the process is shown. As shown in the figure, the laser beam generated from the semiconductor laser 1311 of the laser oscillator 810 is modulated by the above-mentioned audio signal and image signal, becomes a narrow parallel beam by the collimator lens 1112, and is reflected by the polyhedral mirror 820 of the scanner rotating at high speed. The light is then scanned in the lateral direction of the arrow X in the figure, and is further imaged by an imaging lens 921 and irradiated onto a rotating photosensitive drum 930 to form a latent image. Further, the laser beam 922 is reflected by a mirror 823 at one end of the drum 830 and enters a horizontal synchronization signal generator 824 to generate a horizontal synchronization signal.

At this time, the surface of the insulating layer of the photosensitive drum 930 cleaned by the cleaning roller 931 is transferred to the high voltage charger 830.
The surface of the drum 930 is charged to a positive charge by the uniform positive corona discharge of the AC charger 5832, and simultaneously with the AC corona discharge of the AC charging 5832, the surface of the drum 930 is irradiated with the laser beam 822 to form a latent image. The photosensitive drum 930 rotates and the developing device 950
When the latent image is reached, toner is applied by the developing cylinder 83B, and the latent image is visualized. When the photosensitive drum 830 further rotates and reaches the transfer charger 338, the transfer charger 838
8...A positive charge is placed on the surface of the paper 850, and the toner image visualized by attracting the negatively charged toner on the surface of the drum 830 is transferred to the paper 950.

On the other hand, the paper feed roller 881 rotates in synchronization with the drum's main motor (not shown), and when the paper feed signal is turned on,
Paper feed solenoid (not shown) is ON+, paper feed roller 11
181 is pushed down into the cassette 840 to feed paper 950. At the same time as the paper is fed, the registration roller 862 stops rotating, and at the timing when the leading edge of the paper 950 and the leading edge of the toner image on the photosensitive drum 830 coincide with each other, the registration roller 962 starts rotating. 950 is delivered between the transfer charger 838 and the photosensitive drum 930. ■The paper 950 on which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to a fixing device 884 by a conveying belt 963, and the fixing roller 8 of the fixing device 864
The toner image is fixed on the paper 850 by the heat roller fixation of 65.
The paper is fixed on the paper and is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 966. When it finishes printing one page, it issues a print end signal and waits for your print command.

Note that the printer 800 is not limited to the laser beam printer as described above, and a printer such as an inkjet printer can also be applied. Further, in this example, a case has been described in which an image signal from the reader 400 is handled, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to handle an image signal from, for example, a CRT display. It can also be applied to cases where audio data and image data are not compressed.

[Effect] As explained above, according to the great invention, audio is converted into a digital signal and transmitted together with a digital image/signal, and the printing side visualizes the digital audio signal and prints it on the same sheet of paper together with the image. This makes it possible to save one image and save audio at the same time.

Further, according to the great invention, the digital audio signal and the digital image signal are encoded and synthesized, and the synthesized signal is transmitted, so that the transmission vehicle can be improved and the audio signal can be recorded. can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the rest of the device of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of printing by the printer shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another embodiment of the great invention, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the configuration of the encoder, FIG. 5 is a blow diagram showing an example of the internal embroidery of the league shown in FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the configuration of the compression device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG.
FIG. 8 is a waveform diagram showing the timing of the signals in FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. FIG. 11 is a waveform diagram showing the timing of the signal in FIG. 1θ, FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the format of the composite signal in FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the configuration of the separating device, and FIGS. 14 and 15 are a perspective view and a schematic front view showing examples of the internal configuration of the optical system and image forming system of the printer shown in FIG. 1 or 2. be. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100... Microphone, 200... Encoder, 300... Memory, 400... League, 420... A/D converter, 500... Compression device, 510... Change point detection circuit. soo...Synthesizing II location, 830...Synthesizing signal, 700...Separating device, 800...Decoding device, 800...Printer, 822...Laser beam, 951...Audio recording area , 952... Image recording area, 1000... Memory, 1100... Decoder, 1200... Speaker. ! ≧ Book 400 Vice Runner Figure 6 L--J

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] l) means for converting an image into a digital image signal and encoding the digital image signal; means for converting audio into a digital audio signal and encoding the digital audio signal; An image comprising: means for synthesizing an image signal and an audio signal encoded by the means to form a composite signal; and means for forming a visible image of the image and audio signal from the composite signal. Forming device. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising means for transmitting the composite signal and means for decoding the encoded digital signal in the composite signal transmitted by the means. An image forming device that uses a spinning machine.