Information processing apparatus for processing both image data and coded data

Claim 2

An information processing apparatus for pro­cessing both image data and code data, said apparatus characterized by comprising: first storing means (19) for storing at least one of the image data and the code data; and second storing means for storing first retrieval data for retrieving the image data from said first stor­ing means (19) and second retrieval data for retrieving the code data from said first storing means (19), the first retrieval data having a data structure for defin­ing the retrieval data and first identifying data repre­senting the image data, the second retrieval data having the same data structure as the data structure of the first retrieval data and second identifying data repre­senting the code data.

Claim 3

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising control means (12) for discriminating the first and second iden­tifying data to identify the image and code data.

Claim 4

The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized by further comprising first input means (37) for inputting the image data and second input means (17) for inputting the code data, and characterized in that said control means (12) includes: means for checking if the data input by said first and second input means (37, 17) is the image data or the code data to obtain a check result; means for generating the first retrieval data having first iden­tifying data when the check result shows the image data and for generating the second retrieval data having the second identifying data when the check result shows the code data; and memory control means for storing the data input by said first and second input means (37, 17) into said first storing means (19) and for storing the first and second retrieval data generated by said generating means into said second storing means.

Claim 5

The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that said control means (12) further includes means for setting up said data structures each having data hierarchy, said data hierarchy including a plurality of data strata each containing a plurality of data units, the data unit in one data stratum having a plurality of data units in a data stratum lower than said one data stratum, and said memory control means includes means for storing the data input by said first and second input means (37, 17) as the data unit of the lowest data stratum of the data strata as set up in said first storing means (19) by said set-up means.

Claim 6

The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized by further comprising means for merging the image data input by said first input means (37) with the code data input by said second input means (17), and characterized in that said generating means in­cludes means for generating third retrieval data having third identifying data for identifying the data being merged by said merging means, and said memory control means includes means for storing the data merged by said merging means into said first storing means (19) and for storing the third retrieval data generated into said second storing means, the merged data being stored as the data unit of the lowest data stratum of the data strata as set up in said first storing means (19) by said set-up means.

Claim 7

The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized by further comprising means (27a) for storing said first and second identifying data generated by said generating means.

Claim 8

An information processing apparatus having first input means (37) for inputting image data, second input means (17) for inputting code data, means (19) for storing the image data, and control means (12) for stor­ing the image data input by said first input means (37) into said storing means (19), said information pro­cessing apparatus characterized by further comprising: means for preparing flag data indicating the image and code data input by one of said first and second input means (37 and 17), and characterized in that said control means (12) makes such a control as to store into said storing means (19) either of the image data and the code data input by said first input means (37) and said second input means (17), attendant with the flag data prepared by said preparing means, the same data structure being applied to both the image data and the code data.

Claim 9

An information processing apparatus having first input means (37) for inputting image data, second input means (17) for inputting code data, means (19) for storing the image data, and control means (12) for stor­ing the image data input by said first input means (37) into said storing means (19), said information pro­cessing apparatus characterized by further comprising: means for preparing flag data indicating the image and code data input by one of said first and second input means (37 and 17), and characterized in that said control means (12) makes such a control as to store into said storing means (19) either of the image data and the code data input by said first input means (37) and said second input means (17), attendant with the flag data prepared by said preparing means, the same data structure being applied to both the image data and the code data.

Claim 10

The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized by further comprising means (36) for compressing the image data input by said first input means (37), and characterized in that said control means (12) includes means for storing the image data compressed by said compressing means (36) in accompany with the flag data into said storing means (19).

Claim 11

The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized by further comprising means (28) for supplying the code data to said second input means (17).

Claim 12

The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that said supply means (28) includes memory means (28a) for storing a plural pieces of code data, said preparing means includes means for preparing one piece of flag data on the assumption that all of the code data stored in said memory means (28a) constitute a single piece of code data, and said control means (12) includes means for storing all the code data stored in said memory means (28a) in accompany with the one piece of flag data into said storing means (19).

Claim 13

The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that said memory means (28a) includes means for storing management data indi­cating contents of said plurality of code data, and said control means (12) includes means for storing both the code data and the flag data, and the management data as well, into said storing means (19).

Claim 14

The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that said supply means (28) includes: memory means (28a) for storing a plural pieces of code data with different code formats; and means for selectively supplying at least one piece of data picked up from those pieces of code data in said memory means (28a), said preparing means includes means for preparing flag data containing the data discriminately identifying any of the code formats of the code data supplied from said selective supply means, and said control means (12) includes means for storing the code data supplied from said selective supply means in company with the flag data to said storing means (19).

Claim 15

The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, characterized by further comprising means for generating the data being displayed at a high speed according to the code data with a specific data format supplied from said selective supply means, and characterized in that said control means (12) includes means for storing the code data supplied from said selective supply means attendant with the flag data and the data generated by said high speed data generat­ing means, into said storing means (19).

Claim 16

The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, characterized by further comprising means (23, 29) for indicating if additional use of the data generated by said high speed data generating means is needed.

Claim 17

The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized by further comprising means (28a) for storing document data having character code data as prepared by a word processor, and code data of externally registered characters used in said document data, and characterized in that said control means (12) includes means for storing the document data attendant with the code data of the externally registered characters and the flag data into said storing means (19).

Claim 18

The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized by further comprising means (28a) for storing drawing data having vector code data as prepared by a computer aided design system, and sym­bol data used for said drawing data, and characterized in that said control means (12) includes means for storing the drawing data in company with the symbol data and the flag data into said storing means (19).

Claim 19

The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized by further comprising means (28a) for storing document data having character code data as prepared by a word processor, and drawing data having vector code data as prepared by a computer aided design system, and characterized in that said preparing means includes means for merging the document data and the drawing data, and means for pre­paring the flag data containing the data indicating said merged data for said flag data, and said control means (12) includes means for storing said merged data of document and drawing data attendant with said flag data into said storing means (19).

Claim 20

An information processing apparatus for pro­cessing both image data and code data, said apparatus characterized by comprising: first storing means (19) for storing at least one of the image data and the code data; second storing means for storing first retrieval data for retrieving the image data from said first storing means (19) and second retrieval data for retrieving the code data from said first storing means (19), the first retrieval data having data structure for defining the retrieval data and the second retrieval data having the same data structure as the data struc­ture of the first retrieval data; means (23) for inputting at least one of the first retrieval data and the second retrieval data; and means (12) for retrieving at least one of the image data and the code data from said first storing means (19), said retrieving means (12) having first means for retrieving the retrieval data input by said inputting means (23) from said second storing means and second means for retrieving at least one of the image data and the code data corresponding to the retrieval data retrieved by said first means from said first storing means (19).

Claim 21

An information processing apparatus for pro­cessing both image data and code data, said apparatus characterized by comprising: first storing means (19) for storing at least one of the image data and the code data; second storing means for storing first retrieval data for retrieving the image data from said first storing means (19) and second retrieval data for retrieving the code data from said first storing means (19), the first retrieval data having data structure for defining the retrieval data and the second retrieval data having the same data structure as the data struc­ture of the first retrieval data; means (23) for inputting at least one of the first retrieval data and the second retrieval data; and means (12) for retrieving at least one of the image data and the code data from said first storing means (19), said retrieving means (12) having first means for retrieving the retrieval data input by said inputting means (23) from said second storing means and second means for retrieving at least one of the image data and the code data corresponding to the retrieval data retrieved by said first means from said first storing means (19).

Claim 22

The information processing apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that the first retrieval data further includes first identifying data represent­ing the image data, the second retrieval data further includes second identifying data representing the code data, and said retrieving means further includes third means for discriminating the first and second identifying data to identify the image and code data.