Document data input system for a scanner

Abstract: A document data input system for a scanner capable of storing scanner data to another buffer memory of a microprocessor when applying the scanned data to a host computer. The document data input system comprising a host computer for storing scanned data to its internal hard disk, a scanner for scanning the document data, a scanner interface unit for interfacing between the host computer and the scanner, a microprocessor associated with a global memory and a local memory, and an interface unit for latching the data from the scanner interface unit and applying the data to the microprocessor, and applying a completion signal to the scanner interface unit when the data input to the microprocessor is completed. The system provides the enhanced reliability and the using efficiency and is capable of being used for the document recognition system comprising a multiprocessor.

Description: The present invention relates to a document data input system which receives data scanned at a scanner and stores the scanned data in a hard disk of a host computer, and more particularly to a document data input system for a scanner which is designed to be suitably used for a document acknowledge system comprising a multiprocessor. A conventional scanner interface, which is shown in Fig. 1, comprises a host computer 10 which receives data scanned at a scanner 12 via a scanner interface unit 11 and then stores the data in its internal hard disk. In such a conventional system, the host computer 10 sets a mode of the scanner interface unit 11 by means of a register value and receives data scanned at the scanner 12 as an input via the scanner interface unit 11, and then stores the inputted data to a hard disk. Thereafter, the data stored in the hard disk are processed by the host computer 10 in accordance with the user's intention. However, in such a conventional system there has been the drawback that since the scanned data are stored only in the hard disk of the host computer, the data stored in the hard disk should be transmitted from the host computer to other processor in case that the data are needed by other processor, and it takes considerable time to transmit the data at the host computer, causing the processing efficiency to be lowered. Another prior art system (US-A-3 558 811) is as defined in the preamble of claim 1. It is an object of the present invention to provide a document data input system for a scanner which can input the data scanned at the scanner to another microprocessor and store them to a buffer memory when inputting the scanned data to a host computer and storing to its hard disk. For that purpose, there is provided a document data input system for a scanner in accordance with the characterizing portion of claim 1. Other features are defined in the dependent claims. The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a scanner interface according to a prior art system; Fig. 2 a block diagram showing the configuration of a document data input system of the present invention; and Fig. 3 is a detailed circuit diagram of the scanner interface unit of Fig. 2. Referring to Fig, 2, the document data input system according to the present invention comprises a host computer 100 for controlling the operation of the whole system and storing scanned data to its hard disk; a scanner 200 for scanning document data; a scanner interface unit 300, associated with the host computer 100 and the scanner 200, for executing an interface operation therebetween upon the control of the host computer 100; a microprocessor 400 associated with a global memory 401 and a local memory 402; and an interface unit 310 for latching scanned data passed through the scanner interface unit 300 upon the control of the host computer 100 and applying the latched data to the microprocessor 400. Fig. 3 shows in detail the scanner interface unit and the interface unit. As shown in Fig. 3, the scanner interface unit 300 is constituted in such a manner that data ports D₀-D₇, read control signal port IOR , write control signal port IWO , selection signal ports SA₀ and SA₁, and reset signal port RSD of the host computer 100 are connected respectively to data ports D₀-D₇, read port RD , write port WR , selection ports A₀ and A₁, an d reset port RS of a scanner interface 302, and also input/output signal ports IO₀-IO₃ of the host computer 100 are connected to a chip selection port CS of the scanner interface 302 via an AND gate 301, output ports PA₀-PA₇ of the scanner interface 302 are connected via a buffer 303 to data ports D₁-D₈ of the scanner 200 and input ports PB₀-PB₇ of the scanner interface 302 directly to the data ports D₁-D₈ of the scanner 200; a mode control signal port PC₄ of the scanner interface 302 is connected to a preset/scanner port PR/ SC of the scanner 200 and an enable port 2G of a multiplexer 307 as well as to an enable port G of the buffer 303 and an enable port 1G of the multiplexer 307 via an inverter 304; interrupt signal port PC₃, acknowledge port PC₆, and output buffer full port PC₇ of the scanner interface 302 are connected to ports 1A₃, 1Y₂ and 1A₁ of the multiplexer 307, in put buffer full port IC₁ via an OR gate 306 to a port 2A₃ of the multiplexer 307, and also ports 1Y₃ and 2Y₃, 1A₂ and 1Y₁ to ports BY, RS and ST of the scanner 200; and then the port ST is connected to a port 2A₂ of the multiplexer 307 and also the port 2Y₂ via an OR gate 305 to a strobe port PC₂ of the scanner interface 302. Meanwhile, the interface unit 310 is constituted in such a manner that data ports D₀-D₇ of the scanner interface 302 are connected to data ports D₀-D₇ of the latch 312 and output ports Q₀-Q₇ of the latch 312 are connected to data ports D₀-D₀-D₇ of the microprocessor 400; input/output signal port IO₁ of the host computer 100 is connected to a clock port CK of the latch 312, a clear port CL of a flip-flop 313, and a preset port PS of a flip-flop 314 and also a reset signal port RSD of the host computer 100 is connected via the inverter 311 to the preset port PS of the flip-flop 313 and the clear terminal CL of the flip-flop 314; the output port Q of the flip-flop 313 is connected to an interrupt port INT of the microprocessor 400 and interrupt acknowledge signal port IACK , output demand signal port P₆ and completion signal port P₅ of the microprocessor 400 are connected to the clock port CK of the flip-flop 313, the output enable port OE of the latch 312 and the clock port CK of the flip-flop 314; and the output port Q of the flip-flop 314 is connected to inputs of OR gates 305 and 306. In the above, the scanner interface 302 is a programmable peripheral interface (PPI) which is structured such that its data ports D₀-D₇ are selectively connected to its output ports PA₀-PA₇, input ports PB₀-PB₇ and control ports PC₀-PC₇ in response to signals being applied to its selection ports A₀ and A₁, and the multiplexer 307 is structured such that its ports 1A₁-1A₃ are connected to its ports 1Y₁ -1Y₃ when a low potential signal is applied to its enable port 1G , and its ports 2A₂ and 2A₃ are connected to its ports 2Y₂ and 2Y₃ when a low potential signal is applied to its enable port 2G . Hereinafter, the operation and effect of the present invention will be described in detail. When a high level reset signal is applied from the reset signal port RSD of the host computer 100 to the reset port RS of the scanner interface 302; the scanner interface 302 is reset and initialized. At this time, since the high level reset signal is inverted into a low level signal at the inverter 311, the flip-flip 313 is preset to output a high level signal from its output port Q and the flip-flop 314 is cleared to output a low level signal from its output terminal Q, whereby output signals of the OR gates 305 and 306 are determined by signals of the port 2Y₂ of the multiplexer 307 and of the strobe port PC₂ of the scanner interface 302. Under these conditions, when the host computer 100 outputs a low level mode selection control signal at its input/output signal port IO₃, a low level signal is outputted from the AND gate 301, thereby causing the scanner interface 302 to be enabled, and at this time the host computer 100 outputs mode data AO (Hex) through its data ports D₀-D₇ to set the scanner interface 302 to a strobe input/output mode. Thereafter, as the host computer 100 outputs a low level signal at its input/output port IO₂, a low level signal is outputted from the AND gate 301, thereby causing the scanner interface 302 to be enabled. And at the selection signal port SA₀ of the host computer 100, a low level signal is outputted and at the selection signal port SA₁ thereof, a high level signal is outputted, thereby the control ports PC₀-PC₇ of the scanner interface 302 are selected. At this moment, the host computer 100 outputs preset mode data at its data ports D₀-D₇ so that high level preset mode signals are outputted from the mode control signal port PC₄ of the scanner interface 302. The high level preset mode signal is applied to the preset/scanner port PR/ SC of the scanner 200, thereby causing the scanner 200 to be a preset mode, and since the high level preset mode signal is inverted into a low level signal at the inverter 304, the buffer 303 is enabled so that the input port A thereof is connected to its output port Y, and the input ports 1A₁-1A₃ of the multiplexer 307 are connected to the output ports 1Y₁-1Y₃ thereof. At this time, the host computer 100 outputs a low level signal at its input/output port IO₀, thereby causing the scanner interface 302 to be enabled and at the selection signal ports SA₀ and SA₁ thereof, low level signals are outputted, thereby causing the output ports PA₀-PA₇ of the scanner interface 302 to be selected, and then the scanner interface 302 becomes a write state by the low level write signal being outputted from the write signal port IOW of the host computer 100. Thus, the scanner interface 302 receives through its data ports D₀-D₇ as an input the data being outputted from the data ports D₀-D₇ of the host computer 100 and outputs them through its output ports PA₀-PA₇, and the data from the output ports PA₀-PA₇ of the scanner interface 302 are applied to the data ports D₁-D₈ of the scanner 200 through the buffer 303. And, at the time that the low level write signal is inverted into a high level signal, low level signals are outputted from the interrupt signal port PC₃ and output buffer full port PC₇ of the scanner interface 302 and the low level signals are applied to the busy port BY and strobe port ST of the scanner 200 through the ports 1A₃, 1Y₃ and 1A₁, 1Y₁ of the multiplexer 307, thereby the scanner 200 receives and processes the data being applied to its data ports D₁-D₈. After the data are inputted to the scanner 200, a low level interrupt acknowledge signal is outputted through its port RS and since this low level interrupt acknowledge signal is applied via ports 1A₂ and 1Y₂ of the multiplexer 307 to the acknowledge port PC₆ of the scanner interface 302, a high level signal is outputted from the interrupt signal port PC₃ and output buffer full port PC₇ thereof at the time that the low level acknowledge signal becomes a high level signal, thereby causing the scanner interface 302 to be initialized. In this state, the host computer 100 selects the control ports PC₀-PC₇ of the scanner interface 302, as above described, to identify that the scanner 200 read the data by checking the condition of the acknowledge port PC₆. That is, at this time, when the acknowledge port PC₆ is in a high level state, it means that the scanner 200 read the data, so that the host computer 100 may record the data in the scanner interface 302. When the host computer 100 finishes to transmit all the data to the scanner 200 via the scanner interface 302, a low level signal is outputted from the input/output port IO₂ of the host computer 100, thereby causing the scanner interface 302 to be enabled, and a low level signal is outputted from the selection signal port SA₀ of the host computer 100 and a high level signal is outputted from the selection signal port SA₁ so that the control ports PC₀-PC₇ of the scanner interface 302 are selected. At this moment, scanner mode data are outputted from the data ports D₀-D₇ of the host computer 100 so that a low level scanner mode signal is outputted from the mode control signal port PC₄ of the scanner interface 302. This low level scanner mode signal is applied to the preset/scanner port PR/ SC of the scanner 200, thereby causing the scanner 200 to be in a scanner mode, and since the low level scanner mode signal is inverted into a high level signal at the inverter 304, the buffer 303 is disabled and the multiplexer 307 is in a state that its input ports 2A₂ and 2A₃ are connected to the output ports 2Y₂ and 2Y₃ thereof. In case that the scanner 200 outputs data through its data ports D₁-D₈ to the input ports PB₀-PB₇ of the scanner interface 302, a low level signal is outputted from the strobe port ST of the scanner and applied to one side input port of the OR gate 305 through the ports 2A₂ and 2Y₂ of the multiplexer 307 and also a low level signal is outputted from the output port Q of the flip-flop 314, so that a low level signal is outputted from the OR gate 305 and applied to the strobe port PC₂ of the scanner interface 302, thereby a high level signal is outputted from the input buffer full port PC₁ of the scanner interface 302. This high level signal is applied via the OR gate 306 and the ports 2A₃ and 2Y₃ of the multiplexer 307 to the busy port BY of the scanner 200 so that the scanner 200 does not transmit data. At this moment, the host computer 100 selects the control ports PC₀-PC₇ of the scanner interface 302, as described above, and checks the condition of the strobe port PC₂ and then reads, when the strobe port PC₂ is in a low level state, the data inputted in the input ports PB₀-PB₇. That is, at this time, a low level signal is outputted from the input/output port IO₁ of the host computer 100, thereby causing the scanner interface 302 to be enabled, and also a high level signal is outputted from the selection signal port SA₀ and a low level signal is outputted from the selection signal port SA₁, thereby causing the input ports PB₀-PB₇ of the scanner interface 302 to be selected. At this time, the scanner interface 302 becomes a read state by the low level read signal being outputted at the read signal port IOR of the host computer 100, thereby the data inputted in the input ports PB₀-PB₇ of the scanner interface 302 are outputted through the data ports D₀-D₇ and then stroed in the hard disk. In addition, since the low level signal being outputted from the input/output port IO₁ of the host computer 100 is applied to the clock port CK of the latch 312 as a clock signal, the data outputted at the data ports D₀-D₇ of the scanner interface 302 are latched at the latch 312, and a low level signal outputted at the input/output port IO₁ of the host computer 100 causes the flip-flop 313 to be cleared so as to output a low level signal through its output port Q and the flip-flop 314 to be preset so as to output a high level signal through its output port Q. The low level signal outputted at the output port Q of the flip-flop 313 is applied to the interrupt port INT of the microprocessor 400 as an interrupt signal, thereby the microprocessor 400 outputs a low level interrupt acknowledge signal through its interrupt acknowledge signal port IACK so that a high level signal is outputted again at the output port Q of the flip-flop 313. And, at this moment the microprocessor 400 outputs a low level output demand signal through its output demand signal port P₆ so that the latch 312 is to be enabled, and then the data latched at the latch 312 are outputted through its output ports Q₀-Q₇ and applied to the data ports D₀-D₇ of the microprocessor 400. Thus the microprocessor 400 strobes the data being applied to its data ports D₀-D₇ to the global memory 401 and compresses the data in accordance with the user's processing program and then stroes the compressed data to the local memory 402. After completing the process of data at the microprocessor 400, the microprocessor 400 outputs a low level completion signal through its completion signal port P₅ and applies the signal to the clock port CK of the flip-flop 314. At this time, since the flip-flop 314 outputs a low level signal through its output port Q, then the scanner 200 is ready to transmit the next pixel data. That is, while a low level signal is outputted at the input buffer full port PC₁ of the scanner interface 302 at the time that a low level read signal outputted at the read signal port IOR of the host computer 100 is turned to a high level signal, a high level signal is already outputted at the output port Q of the flip-flop 314 as above described, so that a high level signal is outputted from the OR gate 306 and applied continuously to the busy port BY of the scanner 200, thereby the scanner 200 can not transmit the next pixel data. Thereafter, when a low level signal is outputted at the flip-flop 314 as above described, a low level signal is outputted from the OR gate 306 and applied to the busy port BY of the scanner 200, thereby the scanner 200 then can transmit the next pixel data. As described above in detail, in accordance with the present invention, when scanned data are stored via a scanner interface unit to a hard disk of a host computer, the scanned data are latched at a latch and stored to another microprocessor, and until the microprocessor finishes the process of the scanned data, the scanner does not transmit the next pixel data, so that the reliability of the product and the using efficiency of the host computer can be enhanced. Also, the present invention is applicable to a document acknowledge system comprising a multiprocessor.

Claims: A document data input system for a scanner, comprising: a host computer (100) for controlling the whole operation of the system and receiving and storing scanned data on a hard disk; a scanner (200) for scanning document data; a scanner interface unit (300) for carrying out a data interface operation between the host computer (100) and the scanner (200), upon the control of the host computer; characterized in that said system further comprises: a microprocessor (400), which does not form part of said host computer, for processing said scanned data, said microprocessor being associated with a global memory (401) and a memory (402) for storing said scanned data, and an interface unit (310) for carrying out a data interface operation between the scanner and the microprocessor (400) at the same time when said host computer (100) receives the scanned data, said interface unit including: a latch (312) for latching the scanned data (D₀-D₇) passed through the scanner interface unit (300) upon the control of the host computer (100); a first flip-flop (313) for signalling to the microprocessor the expected arrival of new data, said microprocessor (400) enabling said latch when being signalled by said first flip-flop; and a second flip-flop (314) for applying a completion signal to the scanner interface unit (300) when the data input to the microprocessor is completed. A document data input system according to claim 1, wherein said scanner interface unit has a scanner interface (302), a buffer (303) and a multiplexer (307) and wherein: data input ports D₀-D₇, read control signal port IOR , write control signal port IWO , selection signal ports SA₀ and SA₁, and reset signal port RSD of the host computer (100) are connected respectively to data output ports D₀-D₇, read port RD , write port WR , selection ports A₀ and A₁, and reset port RS of a scanner interface (302); input/output signal ports IO₀-IO₃ of the host computer are connected to a chip selection port CS of the scanner interface (302) via an AND gate (301); output ports PA₀-PA₇ of the scanner interface (302) are connected via said buffer (303) and input ports PB₀-PB₇ of the scanner interface are connected directly to the data ports D₁-D₈ of the scanner; a mode control signal port PC₄ of the scanner interface (302) is connected to a preset/scanner port PR/ SC of the scanner and an enable port 2G of the multiplexer (307) as well as to an enable port G of the buffer and an enable port 1G of the multiplexer (307) via an inverter (304); an interrupt signal port PC₃, an acknowledge port PC₆, and an output buffer full port PC₇ of the scanner interface (302) are connected to respective input ports 1A₃, 1Y₂ and 1A₁ of the multiplexer, input buffer fullt port PC₁ of the scanner interface is connected via an OR gate (306) to an input port 2A₃ of the multiplexer, output ports 1Y₃ and 2Y₃, input port 1A₂, and output port 1Y₁ of the multiplexer are respectively connected to ports BY, RS and ST of the scanner (200), the input ports 2A₂ and 2A₃ of the multiplexer being respectively communicated with output ports 2Y₂ and 2Y₃ of the multiplexer responsive to a predetermined level at the output of said inverter (304); port 1Y₁ of the multiplexer is connected to input port 2A₂ of the multiplexer (307), whereby a low level signal output by port PC₇ of the scanner interface is selectively communicated through the multiplexer to an input of the OR gate (305); the port 2Y₂ is connected via an OR gate (305) to a strobe port PC₂ of the scanner interface (302) for controlling output signals of the OR gates (305,306) of the scanner interface (302). The document data input system for a scanner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface unit is constituted such that data ports D₀-D₇ of the host computer are connected to data ports D₀-D₇ of the latch, a reset signal port RSD of the host computer is connected via an inverter to a preset port PS of the first flip-flop and to a clear port CL of the second flip-flop, an input/output port IO₁ of the host computer is connected to a clock port CK of the latch, a clear port CL of the first flip-flop, and a preset port PS of the second flip-flop, an output port Q of the first flip-flop is connected to an interrupt port INT of the microprocessor, an output demand signal port P₆ and data ports D₀-d₇ of the microprocessor are connected respectively to an output enable port OE and output ports Q₀-Q₇ of the latch, and an interrupt acknowledge signal port IACK and a completion signal port P₅ of the microprocessor are connected respectively to clock ports CK and CK of the first and second flip-flops.

Inventors: CHO MUN HYOUNG, CHO, MUN HYOUNG
Applicants: LG ELECTRONICS INC, LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: H04N1
IPC codes: H04N1, G06T1, G06F13