Image forming apparatus that buffers data in a storage device and reduces delays in process
An image forming apparatus includes a processor, and a storage controller that writes band data to a storage device and reads the band data. The processor: (a) generates a write-side process and a read-side process; (b) generates a write-side thread by the write-side process; (c) generates a read-side thread and a file read thread by the read-side process; (d) notifies the read-side process of an identifier within the storage device, and causes the storage controller to sequentially write the band data; and (e) requests the file read thread to cause the storage controller to sequentially read out the band data corresponding to the identifier and causes the storage controller to sequentially read out the band data and one or more subsequent band data.
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a storage controller configured to: (i) write image data on one page to a storage device, wherein the image data comprises a plurality of pieces of band data and (ii) to read out the plurality of pieces of band data from the storage device; and
a processor configured to control the storage controller, wherein the processor is configured to:
(a) generate a write-side process that causes the storage controller to write the plurality of pieces of band data;
(b) generate a read-side process that causes the storage controller to read out the plurality of pieces of band data;
(c) generate a write-side thread and a file write thread by the write-side process;
(d) generate a read-side thread and a file read thread by the read-side process;
(e) based on the write-side process, store one piece of band data in a memory;
(f) based on the write-side thread, generate an event at each time a write request for one piece of band data is queued in a queue system;
(g) based on the read-side process and the read-side thread, delete each of the plurality of pieces of band data from the memory when writing the each of the plurality of pieces of band data to the storage device is completed; and
(h) based on sequentially performing queued read requests for the plurality of pieces of band data, if one of the plurality of pieces of band data to be read out exists on the memory, cause the storage controller to read out the one of the plurality of pieces of band data, and wherein if none of the plurality of pieces of band data exists in the memory, cause the storage controller to read out each of the plurality of pieces of band data from the storage device,
(i) based on reading of one of the plurality of pieces of band data requested by the read-side thread, cause the storage controller to read out the one of the plurality of pieces of band data, and wherein one or more of the plurality of pieces of band data is subsequent to the one of the plurality of pieces of band data.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pieces of band data are written to a file stored in the storage device, and wherein an identifier of the storage area includes an identifier of the file.
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the storage device includes a buffer that temporarily stores the image data based on the image process performed on the image data.
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the queue system includes a shared memory area allocated onto a memory, and wherein a physical address of the shared memory area is mapped to logical addresses of the write-side process and the read-side process to cause the write-side process and the read-side process to access the shared memory area.