JP3248641B2 - Image editing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image editing apparatus, and more particularly to an image editing apparatus capable of performing clip processing by designating a part of an image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, an image processing apparatus or a DTP (Desk Top Publishing) capable of inputting an image.
In a system or the like, an operation may be performed in which a part of an image is specified by a rectangle, a polygon, or the like, and the inside or outside of the image is clipped. For example, a part of the image shown in FIG. 4A is designated by a rectangle (indicated by a broken line), and the outside thereof is subjected to clip processing to obtain an image as shown in FIG. 4B.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of a conventional image processing apparatus having such a clip function. The image processing apparatus shown in FIG. 5 includes an image storage unit 10 for storing image data to be processed, an area specification unit 11 for inputting an area specification instruction from a user, and an image storage unit in accordance with an instruction from the area specification unit 11. A clip processing unit 12 for clipping the image stored in the image processing unit 10, and an image display unit 13 for displaying the image processed by the clip processing unit 12. The user checks the image displayed on the image display unit 13 while checking the image. When a clip operation is performed, an area instruction parameter generated by the operation is input from the area specifying unit 11 to the clip processing unit 12, and the image data stored in the image storage unit 10 is processed by the clip processing unit 12 to display an image. It is displayed on the unit 13.

[0004] using a pointing device such as a mouse from the area specifying unit 11, FIG. 4 in the case of rectangular clipping image shown in (a), for example first the coordinates of point P ₀ by pressing a button on the mouse ( x ₀ , y ₀ ) and the coordinates (x ₁ , y ₁ ) of the point P ₁ at which the button was released are input to the clip processing unit 12 so that the two points P ₀ , P ₁ are defined as two diagonal vertices. Only the data inside the rectangle (shown by the broken line) is output to the image display unit 13. As a result, FIG.
As shown in (b), only a part of the image is clipped and displayed.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional image processing apparatus, the following operational problems occur.

For example, the display of the image display unit 13 is shown in FIG.
When the clip has already been clipped as in (b), the user may not know the size of the original image stored in the image storage unit 10. Therefore, when it is desired to change the clip region, it is difficult to understand how far the image exists, and it is difficult to specify a target clip region.

When a clip area is specified as described above, the mouse button must be kept pressed between two vertexes of the diagonal of the rectangle. If you make an operation mistake that immediately separates the clip area, only the erroneously specified minute area will be displayed as a clip, and you will need to perform extra operations such as canceling or resetting the clip area. is there. As shown in FIG. 6, an image processing apparatus having a function of enlarging and displaying a clipped area (see FIG. 6A) over the entire display area (see FIG. 6B) However, there is a disadvantage that unnecessary processing such as clipping / enlarging processing of a minute area designated by an erroneous operation is performed, so that useless processing time is required. Furthermore, since the image of the erroneously specified minute area is displayed in an extremely enlarged manner, there is a problem that the user cannot judge the content of the image and the operation is confused.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and operates properly even if a user specifies a clip area in a state in which the size of an original image is not known, and the user erroneously performs a small operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus that does not require an extra operation or processing time even when a clip area is designated.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, an area designating means for designating a part of an image, an area detecting means for detecting an area of an image, and an input from the area designating means. And a clip region specifying unit that determines an overlapping region based on the obtained region information and the region information detected by the region detecting unit, and sets the overlapping region as a clip region of an image when the overlapping region exists. In the image editing apparatus, the clip area designating method
The column indicates that the size or area of the predetermined area has a predetermined value.
If the above is the case, the predetermined area is set to the clip area of the image.
Characterized in that it is an.

[0010]

According to the present invention, a means for detecting area information of an image stored in an image storage unit, and a common area based on a detection result from the detection means and area specification information instructed by a user from an area specification unit. A part is obtained, and only that part is input to the clip processing unit as a new clip area.

With the above-described configuration , a clip region can be correctly set even in a situation where the entire image is not displayed due to clip processing.

According to the present invention, when the clip area designated by the user is very small, the information on the target image area from the area detection unit can be determined from the idea that the designation can be determined to be an operation error. The area ratio between the clip region and the original image region or the size ratio in each of the vertical and horizontal directions is determined based on the clip region, and the clip instruction is validated only when this value is larger than a preset threshold value.

According to the above configuration , when the user designates a clip area by mistake and designates a minute area, there is an advantage that the editing operation can be performed next without canceling or performing extra processing.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes an image storage unit for storing image data to be processed, 11 an area designation unit for inputting an area designation instruction from a user, 12
Denotes a clip processing unit that performs clip processing on an image stored in the image storage unit 10, 13 denotes an image display unit that displays an image processed by the clip processing unit 12, and 40 denotes an image storage unit 1.
A region detection unit 41 for detecting region information of the original image data stored in 0. A clip region 41 instructs the clip processing unit 12 based on a detection result from the region detection unit 40 and a clip region instruction from the region designation unit 11. This is a clip area designating unit for calculating information.

When a clip area is given from the area specifying section 11, the clip area specifying section 41 obtains area information of the original image stored in the image storage section 10 through the area detecting section 40. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a relative positional relationship between the two regions. A solid line indicates an image region 50, and a hatched portion surrounded by a broken line indicates a clip region 51 designated by the user.
Represents When the clip area 51 is included in the image area 50 as shown in FIG.
1 judges that the region (hatched portion) specified by the user is a clip region, and inputs the information to the clip processing unit 12. As shown in FIG.
When the image area 50 partially overlaps with the image area 50, the clip area designating unit 41
The hatched portion in (b) is a clip region, and the information is input to the clip processing unit 12. When the clip area 51 and the image area 50 are separated from each other as shown in FIG. 2C, there is no common part between the two areas, so the clip area specifying unit 41 determines that this instruction is caused by an input error. ,
If nothing is input to the clip processing unit and there is a notifying means for the user (not shown), a notification that an input error has occurred is performed.
As a result, if the current clip area is not set, the hatched portion in FIG. 2C is displayed on the image display unit 13 as before.

With this configuration, FIG.
As shown in (a), if the image displayed on the image display unit 13 has already been clipped and an image (not shown) exists outside the image, if the outside of the image is indicated, As shown in FIG. 3B, the portion is displayed as a new clip area. If the image is originally small and no image exists in the designated portion, the portion shown in FIG.
As shown in (c), the original image is displayed. As described above, even in a situation where the entire image is not displayed by the clipping process, it is possible to realize a clipping operation that matches the sense of the user.

[0018]

In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the following operations are added in addition to the above-mentioned operations in the clip area designating section 41. When a common region exists between the region designated by the user and the image region as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the area ratio between the common region and the image region is calculated. For example, the size of an image is 1000 × 10 on a coordinate system in units of pixels.
00 and the size of the common region is 5 × 10, the area ratio is (area ratio) = 5 × 10 / (1000 × 1000) = 0.
00005. Here, the threshold value for this is set to 0.01% (=
0.0001), the area ratio is equal to or less than the threshold. In this case, it is determined that the clip instruction is caused by some input error, and the clip area designating unit 41 does not input anything to the clip processing unit. Notify that it will be. Usually, it is difficult to imagine an application in which an area of less than 0.01% of the entire image is clipped and used.
Since extra processing time is required, such as clipping an area of less than 1%, such exception processing is considered to be useful for improving operability for the user.

In the above description, the threshold processing is performed based on the area ratio. However, the threshold processing may be performed in the vertical and horizontal sizes of the area. Assuming that the size of the image is 1000 × 1000 and the size of the common area is 5 × 10, (ratio of horizontal size) = 5/1000 = 0.005 (ratio of vertical size) = 10/1000 = 0. 01 If the threshold value is 1% (= 0.01), an input error occurs because the horizontal size is equal to or smaller than the threshold value. In all of the above embodiments, the case of clipping in a rectangular shape has been described as an example. However, the present invention is also effective in the case where processing is performed using a polygon or an arbitrary figure. In the case of a figure other than a rectangle, threshold processing based on the ratio between the vertical and horizontal sizes can be performed by obtaining the minimum rectangle surrounding the clip region.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, even when the entire image is not displayed by the clipping process, the clip area can be correctly set without the user being conscious of the original image size.

Further, it is possible to realize an image processing apparatus which is easy to be used by a user such that when a user designates a clip area by mistake and designates a minute area, the user can proceed to the next editing operation without performing extra processing. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a clip operation according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a processing result of a clip operation according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a clip of an image.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an image processing apparatus showing an example of the related art.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating clip / enlargement of an image.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 image storage unit, 11 area designation unit, 12 clip processing unit, 13 image display unit, 40 area detection unit, 41
Clip area designation unit, 50: original image area, 51: user's clip instruction area

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yasuo Taguchi 3-2-1, Sakado, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa KSPR & D Business Park Building Inside Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-2-188067 (JP) , A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06T 1/00-5/50 G06T 11/60-17/50 H04N 1/38-1/393 G09G 5/00-5 / 40 G06F 3/00 G06F 3/14-3/153

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An area designating means for designating a part of an image;
Area detection means for detecting the area of the image, and determine the overlapping area based on the area information input from the area specification means and the area information detected from the area detection means,
An image editing apparatus comprising: a clip area specifying unit that sets the overlapping area to a clip area of an image when the overlapping area exists;
Means that the size or area of the predetermined area is equal to or less than a predetermined value.
When it is above, the predetermined area is defined as a clip area of the image.
An image editing apparatus, comprising: