Patent Document

[0001]    The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/612,952, filed Jul. 7, 2003, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a multi-function peripheral (MFP), and in particular it relates to an MFP that has a separate function to handle image processing jobs received over a network connection. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A multi-function peripheral (also sometimes referred to as a multi-function product or MFP) is a peripheral equipment of a personal computer (PC) that has multiple functions in one unit. A user of the PC can utilize the MFP to scan, copy or print documents. The PC user normally accesses the MFP in one of two ways: a) physically placing a document on an imaging area of the MFP and requesting a particular function by activating an appropriate button on the MFP&#39;s control panel (e.g., “Print”, “Copy”, or “Scan”), or b) by sending image data to the MFP over a network connection, including commanding the MFP to carry out a particular function with the image data received over the network. However, in conventional MFPs, such data received over the network cannot be image processed in an expeditious manner, but rather is handled by various MFP components acting simply as a “pass through” for the electronic document data while it passes to or from the MFP image processing component. 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing the major elements of a conventional MFP  100 . The MFP  100  includes a scanner  110 , an image processing unit or processor  120 , an image recording unit or recorder  130 , an interface unit  140 , a first memory  150 , a system control unit or controller  160 , and a second memory  170 . 
         [0005]    The scanner  110  scans images and outputs digital image data. The scanner  110  typically has an image sensor to read documents placed on an imaging area, and it may also have an automatic paper feed mechanism to feed multiple pages of a document in a continuous manner. Commercially-available scanners can have other conventional functions, as understood in the art. 
         [0006]    The image processing unit  120  receives the digital image data output by the scanner  110  or data received from the interface unit  140 , converts the image data to electrical data, which is provided to the image recording unit  130  such as to print the document. Alternatively, the scan data output by the scanner  110  may be stored in the first memory  150 , after having passed through the image processing unit  120  and the interface unit  140 . 
         [0007]    The image processing unit  120  includes image processing components that compensate the data to obtain optimum images, and thereby the image processing unit  120  is capable of performing image processing on the data that it receives. As an example only, such image processing components may perform binarization, filtering, matrix conversion, gamma correction, compression, decompression, half-toning, and/or under-color removal (UCR) on the received data. The image processing unit  120  provides image-processed data to the image recording unit  130 , and/or to the interface unit  140 . 
         [0008]    The image recording unit  130  prints the image-processed data received from the image processing unit  120 . As an example only, the image recording unit  130  may correspond to an ink-jet printer or a laser printer. 
         [0009]    For the conventional MFP  100 , the scanner  110 , the image processing unit  120  and the image recording unit  130  are principally used for copying. These components are typically synchronized to each other to allow the scanning, image processing and copying processes to be carried out at a very high data rate. 
         [0010]    The interface unit  140  assists in data and control signal transfer among the various components of the MFP  100 . In particular, for example, the interface unit  140  provides for data transfer between the system control unit  160 , the first memory  150 , and the image processing unit  120 . The interface unit  140  may be a bus or a North bridge, for example. 
         [0011]    Typically, the first memory  150  is a page memory and is implemented as a random access memory (PAM). The first memory  150  stores data, in units of a page, to be transferred to the image processing unit  120 , or it stores data that is received from the image processing unit  120 . The first memory  150  is typically implemented as a volatile memory (e.g., synchronous dynamic RAM). 
         [0012]    The system control unit  160  controls various components of the MFP  100 .  FIG. 2  shows one possible implementation of the system control unit  160 . The system control unit  160  includes a network interface  210 , a central processing unit (CPU)  220 , a local interface unit  230  (which may be implemented, for example, as a bus or a North bridge), a PCI bus  245  (for data transfer to/from the second memory  170 ), and a memory  240 . Memory  240  is indicated as an optional component shown by dashed lines in  FIG. 2 . The network interface  210  provides the interface for data received from or to be sent over a network  190  (see  FIG. 1 ), and it may include, for example, an IEEE 1284 (parallel interface), a local area network (LAN) interface and/or a high-speed serial interface. 
         [0013]    The second memory  170  is communicatively coupled to the system control unit  160  by way of a bus, such as the PCI bus  245  as shown in  FIG. 2 . The second memory  170  is typically implemented as a hard disk drive (HDD), and is used to store image data that has been scanned by the MFP  100 , for example, and whereby that scanned data can be later retrieved from the second memory  170  to be sent to the image recording unit  130  (for printing) or to a PC (over the network  190 ). The second memory  170  is typically implemented as a non-volatile memory. 
         [0014]    Three processes that the conventional MFP  100  normally performs are “Copy,” “Scan,” and “Print.” First, as to the “Copy” process, it proceeds as follows: Scanner  110 →Image Processing Unit  120 →Interface Unit  140 →First Memory  150 →Interface Unit  140 →System Control Unit  160 →Second Memory  170 →System Control Unit  160 →Interface Unit  140 →First Memory  150 →Interface Unit  140 →Image Processing Unit  120 →Image Recording Unit  130 . 
         [0015]    In more detail, in a “Copy” operation, the scanner  110  scans a document, and the output of the scanner  110  is provided to the image processing unit  120 , which performs a desired image processing (e.g., filtering, color conversion, gamma correction, compression) on the scan output. The image processed output is provided to the interface unit  140 , for transfer to the first memory  150 , and is stored in units of a page. The image data stored in the first memory  150  is transferred back to the interface unit  140 , then to the image processing unit  120 , and then to the image recording unit  130  for printing. 
         [0016]    The second process performed by the MFP  100  is the “Scan” process, which proceeds as follows: Scanner  110 →Image Processing Unit  120 →Interface Unit  140 →First Memory  150 →Interface Unit  140 →System Control Unit  160 →Second Memory  170 . This corresponds to a first part of the “Copy” process described above. 
         [0017]    The third process normally performed by the MFP  100  is the “Print” process. The “Print” process proceeds as follows: Second Memory  170 →System Control Unit  160 →Interface Unit  140 →First Memory  150 →Interface Unit  140 →Image Processing Unit  120 →Image Recording Unit  130 . This corresponds to a second part of the “Copy” process described above. 
         [0018]    Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 10-269044 describes an MFP that has network accessible functions. However, like the MFP  100  shown in  FIG. 1 , the MFP described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 10-269044 cannot process image data received over the network and send it back over a network in a simple and direct manner, without passing the data through several MFP components that do not manipulate the image data in any way. This wastes valuable resources of the MFP, and is inefficient. 
         [0019]    Thus, it is desirable to provide another process for an MFP that allows it to efficiently and effectively process image data received over a network, and to send the processed image data back over to the network to a requesting device (i.e., PC), whereby the process path of the MFP reduces or eliminates passing through components of the MFP that do not manipulate the image data in any meaningful way. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    Briefly, in one aspect of the invention, a multi-function image processing apparatus (MFP) includes a system control unit that is communicatively coupled to a network and that is configured to receive an image processing job sent over the network by a requesting device, and to control operation of the MFP. The MFP also includes an image recording unit configured to print documents based on image data received by the image recording unit. The MFP further includes a scanner configured to scan a physical document, and to provide scan data as a result. The MFP also includes an image processing unit configured to receive the scan data from the scanner, to perform image processing on the scan data, and to output image-processed scan data to the image recording unit for printing of the image-processed scan data. The image processing unit includes a first FIFO that is communicatively coupled to the system control unit and that is configured to receive image data to be image-processed an image processing component of the image processing unit to thereby provide image-processed data. The image processing unit further includes a second FIFO that is communicatively coupled to the system control unit and that is configured to send image-processed data of the image processing unit to the system control unit, so that the system control unit can transfer the image-processed data over the network to the requesting device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a conventional MFP; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an image processing unit of a conventional MFP. 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an MFP according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of a process for handling job requests for an MFP according to a second embodiment of the invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a process for handling job requests for an MFP according to a third embodiment of the invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  is a circuit diagram of one possible implementation to freeze or unfreeze the input and output FIFOs, according to the different embodiments of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]    An MFP according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 3 . The MFP  300  includes a scanner  110 , an image recording unit or recorder  130 , an interface unit  140 , a first memory  150 , and a second memory  170 . These components are the same as those shown in  FIG. 1  with respect to the conventional MFP  100 , and thus are given the same reference numerals. The MFP  300  according to the first embodiment also includes an image processing unit or processor  320 , which differs from the image processing unit  120  of the conventional MFP  100 . Also, the system control unit or controller  360  differs from the conventional system control  160 , in that system control unit  360  provides different control signals (e.g., freeze, unfreeze) than system control unit  160  of  FIG. 1  outputs. 
         [0028]    In more detail, the image processing unit  320  includes all of the features of the image processing unit  120 , and further includes an input FIFO (“first-in-first-out”)  325  and an output FIFO  335 . The input FIFO  325  and the output FIFO  335  are synchronized (clocked) to the same clock as the scanner  110 , the image recording unit  130 , and the other components making up the MFP  300 . 
         [0029]    The input FIFO  325  and the output FIFO  335  operate to store images on each line of data, and the input FIFO  325  and the output FIFO  335  are directly connected to the system control unit  360  via a first bus  345  and a second bus  355 , respectively. The input FIFO  325  receives image data send from the system control unit  160  via the first bus  345 , image data that the image processing unit  320  needs to process. The output FIFO  335  sends image-processed data one line at a time to the system control unit  360  via the second bus  355 , after the image data has been processed in the desired manner. The system control unit  360  receives data to be image processed over the network  190 , and sends the image-processed data (that it receives from the output FIFO  335 ) over the network  190  to the device (e.g., PC) that sent data to be image processed by the MFP  300 . 
         [0030]    The MFP  300  according to the first embodiment provides either a “Scan”, “Copy” and “Print” process, just like the conventional MFP  100 . For these processes, data input to the image processing unit  320  need not pass through the input FIFO  325 , and data output from the image processing unit  320  need not pass through the output FIFO  335 . The MFP  300  further provides a fourth process that cannot be performed by the conventional MFP  100 . The fourth process allows the MFP  300  to image process data received over the network  190 , without requiring that data to pass through MFP components that do not process or otherwise operate on the data. For the fourth process, data input to the image processing unit  320  passes through the input FIFO  325 , and data output from the image processing unit  320  passes through the output FIFO  335 . 
         [0031]    The fourth process is useful for network devices since PCs typically are capable of performing some amount of image processing capability via application programs running on the PCs, but an MFP, which is accessible over a network, is capable of performing a better quality image conversion and can do it in a shorter amount of time, by way of the fourth process. 
         [0032]    By way of the input FIFO  325  and the output FIFO  335 , a bypass path is provided in the MFP  300  to allow the MFP  300  to readily process data received from the network  190 , and send that data back over the network  190  to a device (e.g., PC). For example, a PC can send raw image (e.g., tiff) data over the network  190  to the MFP  300  to have the MFP  300  process that data into JPEG data. The fourth process of the MFP  300  is utilized to perform this data conversion. Also, a PC can send 24-bit full color data over the network  190  to the MFP  300  so that the MFP  300  can process that data into binary black-and-white image data. Many other applications and types of image processing that utilize the fourth process of the MFP  300  can be envisioned, all of which are within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
         [0033]    The fourth process bypasses the interface unit  140  and the first memory  150  of the MFP  300 , which components simply act as a “pass through” for image data on its way to and from the image processing unit  320 . 
         [0034]    When the system control unit  360  receives image data sent over the network  190  (such as by a PC communicatively coupled to the network  190 ) to be processed by the MFP  300  in some manner by way of the fourth process, the system control unit  360  provides that image data to the input FIFO  325 . The input FIFO  325  clocks in that image data, one line at a time, and the image data read into the input FIFO  325  is clocked out of the input FIFO  325  one line at a time (or another appropriate amount of data), to then be image-processed in some manner by particular image processing components of the image processing unit  320 . For example, the image processing unit  320  may have separate components for respectively performing binarization, filtering, compression, or decompression of the data, just to name a few types of processing that the image processing unit  320  is capable of performing. 
         [0035]    After the image processing unit  320  finishing image processing one line of data provided by the input FIFO  325 , that one line of data is clocked into the output FIFO  335 , whereby it is output to the system control unit  360 , one line at a time. 
         [0036]    The system control unit  360  may store the image-processed data in the second memory  170 , to be sent to a requesting PC at a later time (e.g., when all of the data to be image-processed has been received from the output FIFO  335 ), or it may send out the image-processed data as soon as it receives it from the output FIFO  335  without storing the data in the second memory  170 . 
         [0037]    The system control unit  360  sends a control signal (or signals) to the image processing unit  320  via a control signal line (or lines) (not shown in  FIG. 3 ), to specify to the image processing unit  320  the type of image processing to be performed on data sent to the input FIFO  325 . 
         [0038]    A second embodiment of the invention will be described below, which involves a method by which the MFP  300  acts on data received via the fourth process and data received via one of the “Copy”, “Print” or “Scan” processes. In the method according to the second embodiment, any image processing performed by the MFP  300  utilizing the fourth process is interrupted in order to perform a “Copy”, “Scan” or “Print” process. The reason why this is done is because a “Copy”, “Scan” or “Print” process is initiated by a user who is physically located at the MFP  300 , whereby a fourth process is initiated by way of a user at a remotely-located PC that accesses the MFP  300  via the network  190 , which user is likely not physically located at the MFP  300 . The method according to the second embodiment allows for a user waiting at the MFP  300  to obtain his or her document without having to first wait for a remotely-sent job to the MFP  300  to be completed. 
         [0039]      FIG. 4  provides a block diagram of the method according to the second embodiment. In a first step  410 , the MFP  300  receives a job request that corresponds to either a “Copy”, “Print” or “Scan” request. In a second step  420 , the image processing unit  320  of the MFP  300  processes the image data of the job request. In a third step  430 , the MFP  300  receives an image processing request (that is, a “fourth process” request as outlined above) sent over the network  190 , while the MFP  300  is processing the image data of the “Copy”, “Print” or “Scan” job request. In a fourth step  440 , the system control unit  360  denies the “fourth process” request, since it is a lower priority than the current job request being performed. In a fifth step  450 , the MFP  300  completes the image processing of the “Copy”, “Print” or “Scan” job request. In a sixth step  460 , the system control unit  360  becomes available to receive any new job requests. This includes “fourth process” requests, which in turn includes the fourth process request previously denied if it still needs to be completed. 
         [0040]    In the second embodiment, any “fourth requests” received by the MFP  300  (via the network  190 ) are denied if the MFP  300  is currently performing either a “Scan”, “Copy” or “Print” job request. 
         [0041]      FIG. 5  shows a method according to a third embodiment of the invention. In a first step  510 , the MFP  300  receives a network image processing request (that is, a “fourth process” request). In a second step  520 , the image processing unit  320  of the MFP  300  starts image processing of the “fourth process” request. In more detail, the image processing unit  320  receives the image data from the system control unit  360 , one line at a time, by way of the input FIFO  325 , processes the received image data (e.g., performs binarization, gamma correction, etc.), and then provides the image-processed data to the system control unit  360  by way of the output FIFO  335 , one line at a time. 
         [0042]    In a third step  530 , the MFP  300  receives another job request, whereby that other job request is either a “Scan”, “Copy” or “Print” job request from a user physically present at the MFP (that is, it is not a fourth process request). In a fourth step  540 , the system control unit freezes the input FIFO  325  and the output FIFO  335 , whereby no new data is clocked into or out from the input FIFO  325  (and thus no new data is provided to the image processing unit  320  from the input FIFO  325 ), and no image-processed data is clocked out from the output FIFO  335  to the system control unit  360 . With the input FIFO  325  and the output FIFO  335  in the “freeze” state, the image processing unit  320  is ready to act on the other “non-fourth process” job request immediately. 
         [0043]      FIG. 6  shows one possible circuit implementation to freeze the FIFOs  325 ,  335 . The system control unit  360  activates the freeze states by switching a freeze signal line  620  (a control signal output by the system control unit  360 ) from its normal low (logic level “0”) state to a high (logic level “1”) state. With the freeze signal  620  and a clock signal  630  provided to the respective input ports of an AND gate  640 , an output  650  of the AND gate  640  is provided to the clock input of the input and output FIFOs  325 ,  335 , to either freeze them or to allow data to be clocked in and out of them. Alternative circuits for achieving the freezing as understood in the art can be implemented. 
         [0044]    In a fifth step  550 , the image processing unit  320  processes the image data of the “Scan”, “Copy” or “Print” job request. These requests can be carried out just as conventional MFP carries out such image processing (that is, the first and output FIFOs  325 ,  335  need not be utilized). 
         [0045]    In a sixth step  560 , when the processing of the image data of the “Scan”, “Copy” or “Print” job request is complete, the system control unit  360  “unfreezes” the first and output FIFOs  325 ,  335 , so that the “fourth process” job request can take over and continue from where it was interrupted by the other job request. 
         [0046]    In a seventh step  570 , the system control unit  360  then sends the image-processed data over the network  190  to the PC that initiated the fourth request. 
         [0047]    In an eighth step  580 , when the fourth request is complete, the MFP  300  goes into a ready state to receive a new job request. 
         [0048]    In the third embodiment, any “Scan”, “Print” or “Copy” job requests that are received while the MFP  300  performs a “fourth request” that precedence over the “fourth request”, and the “fourth request” is halted, or frozen, until the other job request is complete. The fourth request then takes over from the place where it was halted. 
         [0049]    Alternative embodiments can be envisioned based on the teachings above. For example, the “fourth process” requests may be controlled in terms of priority of requests, such that the scan, print or copy job requests will not take precedence over high priority network requests, and the user making such scan, print or copy requests are notified that the MFP is currently being used and the MFP indicates the expected wait time (or gives the user an override option). 
         [0050]    The foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light in the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and as practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications are suited to the particular use contemplated. Aspects of the different embodiments can be combined. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.

Technology Category: 5