JP3441001B2 - Image processing 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 processing apparatus for acquiring and synthesizing first and second images.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A digital copying machine reads a document II
T (image input terminal), IPS (image processing system) that processes read image data, and IOT (image output terminal) that outputs a copy by driving a laser printer, for example, by image data. In the IIT, the CCD sensor is used to extract the image information of the document as an analog electric signal corresponding to the reflectance,
This is converted into multi-tone digital image data. Then, in the IPS, various corrections, conversions, edits, etc. are performed by processing the image data obtained by the IIT.
In the OT, the laser of the laser printer is turned on / off based on the image data processed by the IPS to output a halftone image.

In such a digital copying machine, according to the type of multi-tone image data by the IPS processing, for example, in the case of a character or the like, a sharp image in which edges are emphasized is displayed in a halftone of a photograph or the like. In this case, it is possible to output a smoothed and smooth image, and a highly reproducible color image with adjusted saturation. Furthermore, it is possible to output a coloring picture, color conversion, trimming, shift, Compositing, reducing, enlarging,
Images that have undergone other editing can be output. In contrast to this IPS, in IIT, the manuscript has three primary color R
The image data is read by reading the color-separated signals into (red), G (green), and B (blue), and the IOT outputs Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black). By creating a halftone dot image of each color material and overlapping and outputting,
A color digital copier is configured. Therefore,
In the color image processing apparatus such as the color digital copying machine, the toner developing devices for the respective colors are used, and the scanning is repeated four times in accordance with the developing process of the respective color materials,
Each time, the full-color image data obtained by reading the original is processed.

Next, the applicant of the present invention proposed an outline of the color digital copying machine as described above (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 22327/1990).
5) will be described as an example. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional color digital copying machine.

In FIG. 8, an IIT 100 is for separating a light into three primary colors B, G, and R of light using a CCD line sensor, reading a color original document, and converting it into digital image data. , A laser beam is used for exposure and development to reproduce a color image. Then, from the END conversion circuit 101 between the IIT 100 and the IOT 115 to the IOT interface 11
0 constitutes an image data editing processing system (IPS; image processing system), which converts B, G, and R image data into color materials Y, M, C, and K, and a developing cycle. For each time, the color material signal corresponding to the developed color is IOT11.
It outputs to 5.

Further, in the IIT100, one pixel for each of B, G, and R is used by using a CCD sensor.
Read at a size of 6 dots / mm and save the data in 24
Bits (3 colors x 8 bits; 256 gradations) are output. The CCD sensor is equipped with B, G, and R filters on the upper surface, and has a density of 16 dots / mm and is 300 mm.
Since 16 lines / mm are scanned at a process speed of 190.5 mm / sec, the read data is output at a speed of 15 MPixels per second for each color. And in IIT100, B, G, R
By converting the analog data of the pixels of
The reflectance information is converted into density information and then converted into digital data.

In IPS, IIT100 to B, G, R
The color separation signal of the development process color is turned on / off by applying various data processing in order to improve the color reproducibility, gradation reproducibility, definition reproducibility, etc. Outputting to IOT. END conversion (Equivalen
The t Neutral Density (equivalent neutral density conversion) module 101 adjusts (converts) a gray-balanced color signal, and the color masking module 10
Reference numeral 2 is for converting the B, G, and R signals into a signal corresponding to the Y, M, and C color material amounts by performing a matrix operation. The document size detection module 103 performs document size detection during prescanning and platen color erasing (frame erasing) processing during document reading scanning, and the color conversion module 104 is input from the area image control module. According to the area signal, the specified color is converted in a specific area. And U
The CR (Under Color Removal) & black generation module 105 generates an appropriate amount of K so that color turbidity does not occur, and reduces Y, M, and C by an equal amount according to the amount, and a monocolor mode. 4 gates the K signal and the signals after Y, M, and C undercolor removal according to each signal in the full-color mode. Spatial filter 106
Is a non-linear digital filter that has a function to recover blur and a function to remove moire, and TRC (Tone R
eproduction Control; color tone control module 10
Reference numeral 7 is for performing density adjustment, contrast adjustment, negative / positive reversal, color balance adjustment and the like for improving reproducibility. The reduction / enlargement processing module 108 performs reduction / enlargement processing in the main scanning direction, and reduction / enlargement processing in the sub-scanning direction is performed by adjusting the scan speed of the document. The screen generator 109 converts the color material signal of the process color expressed in multiple gradations into a signal which is binarized on / off in accordance with the gradation and outputs the binarized signal. Is the IOT interface module 11
It is output to IOT115 through 0. The area image control module 111 has an area generation circuit and a switch matrix, and the editing control module is
It has an area command memory 112, a color palette video switch circuit 113, a font buffer 114, etc.
Various editing controls are performed.

In the area image control module 111, seven rectangular areas and their priorities can be set in the area generation circuit, and area control information is set in the switch matrix corresponding to each area. The control information includes color conversion, color mode such as mono-color or full-color, modulation selection information such as photographs and characters, TRC selection information, screen generator selection information, etc., and the color masking module 1
02, color conversion module 104, UCR module 105, spatial filter 106, TRC module 10
It is used to control 7. The switch matrix is
It can be set by software.

The edit control module enables a coloring process such that a document such as a pie chart is read instead of a rectangle, and a designated area whose shape is not limited is filled with a designated color. It is written in four plane memories, and the edit command for each point of the document is set by 4 bits by the four plane memories.

In the case of performing the character synthesizing process in the conventional color digital copying machine as described above, for example, when a certain threshold value is given to the luminance signal of the character and the value of the luminance signal of the character is larger than the threshold value, Output characters,
If it is small, processing is performed to output an image image.

In texture synthesis consisting of mechanical patterns, attention is paid to the luminance signal and the texture image is given a certain value,
For example, dividing the average value of the texture image into AC components and adding the obtained AC component to the image image,
It is realized by subtracting from the image. But,
With such a process, it is impossible to realize a process in which the data of two image images are overlapped, such as a watermark combining process.

Therefore, in watermark composition in which two images stored in a memory are combined, image data is alternately read from the memory and combined to create a watermark picture (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-139081). 64-23677
No.), the watermark is created by obtaining the logical sum of the image data by BGR (YMC), or by obtaining the average value for each pixel of the image data by two BGR (YMC).

[0013]

However, in the method of alternately reading the image data and synthesizing the image data, since the pixels are selected with a certain regularity, a specific frequency component is generated in the synthetic image, and moiré or the like is generated. There is a problem that a defect occurs. In addition, in the method based on the logical sum and the average value,
There is a problem that the composition ratio cannot be adjusted according to the original image, and further, the method of using the logical sum increases the overall density of the image, and the method of using the average value causes the BGR and YMC signals to be filtered by an IIT filter or the like. There is a problem that it depends on the characteristics of the color material of the IOT.

It is an object of the present invention to widen the degree of freedom in selecting the composition ratio so that various composition processes can be performed. Another object of the present invention is to be able to independently perform a composition process on a device.

[0015]

To this end, the present invention provides an image acquisition means for acquiring a first image (A) and a second image (B) represented by lightness information and chromaticity information, and a first image acquisition means. Composite ratio (f) and a composite ratio setting means for setting a second composite ratio (1-f) obtained by subtracting the first composite ratio from "1", and lightness information of the first image and the first image. A brightness information combining means for adding a value obtained by multiplying the first image or the second image by a value obtained by multiplying the value obtained by multiplying the first image or the second image by the value obtained by multiplying the lightness information of the second image by the value obtained by multiplying the second image combination ratio. Selection means for selecting any of the chromaticity information of the image, one obtained by multiplying the chromaticity information of the first image by the first combination ratio, and chromaticity information of the image selected by the selection means. And a chromaticity information synthesizing means for adding a value obtained by multiplying the product by the second synthesizing ratio, or A chromaticity that adds the product of the chromaticity information of the first image and the first composition ratio and the product of the chromaticity information of the second image and the second composition ratio An information synthesizing unit and a selecting unit for selecting either the chromaticity information output from the chromaticity information synthesizing unit or the chromaticity information of the first image are provided. In addition, the first represented by the brightness information and the chromaticity information
Image acquisition means for acquiring the image (A) and the second image (B), the first combination ratio (f1) and the second combination ratio (g1) regarding the brightness information, and the third combination regarding the chromaticity information. A combination ratio setting unit that sets a ratio (f2) and a fourth combination ratio (g2), a value obtained by multiplying the brightness information of the first image by the first combination ratio, and the second image Lightness information composition means for adding lightness information and a product of the second composition ratio, a product of chromaticity information of the first image and the third composition ratio, and a second composition And a chromaticity information synthesizing means for adding the chromaticity information of the image and the product of the fourth synthesis ratio.

[0016]

In the image processing apparatus of the present invention, the image acquisition means for acquiring the image represented by the lightness information and the chromaticity information, and the lightness information for the first and second images acquired by the image acquisition means. An image combination processing unit capable of combining chromaticity information independently and at a desired ratio, and the image combination processing unit combines the first and second images when a predetermined mode is set. When synthesizing images, at least for chromaticity information, since the chromaticity information of one of the first and second images is used as the chromaticity information after synthesis, various image synthesizing processes can be realized.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1A, the first color conversion circuit 1
Is a color separation signal B (blue), G (green), R (red) of the reflectance read by the image reading means, for example, by a CCD sensor.
Is a system value L ^* a ^* b ^* in a uniform color space (image acquisition means) , where the L ^* axis of the system value represents lightness (lightness information) , and the a ^* axis orthogonal to this Saturation and hue are expressed by the two-dimensional plane of and b ^* axis (color
Information) . The image processing circuit 2 uses the uniform color space signal L ^* a
^{By *} b ^* , editing such as composition processing of the present invention, input / output of image data with another system, and other image processing are performed. The second color conversion circuit 3 uses the uniform color space signal L ^* a
^* b ^* is the color material signal Y (yellow), M of the image output means
(Magenta) and C (cyan). FIG. 1B shows a circuit configuration example of watermark composition in the image processing circuit 2.

In FIG. 1B, the multiplier 4 multiplies the image image data A by the composition ratio f, and the subtractor 5 subtracts the composition ratio f from "1" and outputs the value as an image. The multiplier 6 multiplies the image data B. Then, the adder 7 adds the output of the multiplier 4 and the output of the multiplier 3 and outputs composite image data. By using this circuit for each of the signals L ^* a ^* b ^* of the uniform color space to synthesize the image image data A and the image image data B, watermark synthesis can be performed at a ratio of f to (1-f). it can.

In the example shown in FIG. 1C, the subtracter 5 is omitted, and the multiplication coefficient (combining ratio) f for the image image data A (first image) and the image image data B (second image ) .
The multiplication coefficient (composite ratio) g for an image) can be set by independent values that do not depend on each other. By doing so, for example, an image with a low overall density or an image with a high overall density can be favorably performed by adjusting the multiplication coefficients (combining ratios) f and g.

Next, an embodiment of an image processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a signal processing system of the image processing device, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an editing processing system, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a mounting mechanism of the image processing device.

In FIG. 2, the image input unit 100 includes, for example, three CCs B, G and R arranged at right angles to the sub-scanning direction.
A reduction type sensor including a D line sensor is provided, and an image is read by scanning in the main scanning direction in synchronization with the timing signal from the timing generation circuit 12 while moving in the sub-scanning direction at a speed according to the expansion / contraction ratio. It is IIT, and is converted from analog image data into gradation-represented 8-bit digital image data, for example. The shading correction circuit 11 performs shading correction on the image data for variations between pixels due to various factors, and the gap correction circuit 13 performs gap correction between the line sensors. The gap correction is FIFO14
Is to delay the image data read by the amount corresponding to the gap of the CCD line sensor so that the B, G, and R image data at the same position can be obtained at the same time. An ENL (Equivalent Neutral Lightness) conversion circuit 15 performs gray balance processing of image data using a parameter according to a document type, and a negative / positive inversion signal from an edit processing unit 400 described later. This makes it possible to invert the way gray is taken for each pixel and invert the negative / positive, for example, to invert the negative / positive only in a certain designated area.

B, G, processed by the ENL conversion circuit 15
The R image data is, for example, equalized by the matrix circuit 16a.
Color space signal L^*, A^*, B^*Is converted to. Uniform color sky
Signal L between^*, A^*, B^*Are the orthogonal coordinates
L on the axis^*Represents lightness, a^*, B^*Is the chromaticity plane (hue,
Represents the saturation. Such a uniform color space signal L^*,
a ^*, B^*Memory system 20 by converting
Easy to interface with the outside such as a computer through 0
Color conversion, edit processing, and detection of image information.
It's easy. The selector 17 is the matrix conversion circuit 1
6a output or external interface
Selectively retrieve image data from memory system 200
Or, both image data can be captured at the same time
It performs processing such as tea composition and watermark composition. That
For this reason, the selector 17 is set with the composition ratio of the composite image.
It has a function of performing setting, arithmetic processing, and composition processing.

The background removal circuit 18 detects the background density by creating a histogram of the document density by pre-scanning, for example, and skips pixels below the background density to improve the copy quality for a fogged document such as a newspaper. It is for. The document detection circuit 19 detects and stores the document size by detecting the boundary between the back surface of the black platen and the document and determining the circumscribed rectangle. In the background removal circuit 18 and the document detection circuit 19, the lightness information of the signals L ^* , a ^* , and b ^{* in} the uniform color space is signal L ^*.
Is used.

The edit processing section 400 sets area commands for performing edit processing and switching of parameters and the like for each area, and generates area control signals based on the area commands. Conversion, marker color detection, and other processing are performed. Then, the processed image data is input to the matrix conversion circuit 16a and the pictogram separation circuit (TIS circuit) 20.

A matrix is applied to the image data after the editing process.
In the box conversion circuit 16b, L^*, A ^*, B^*To Y,
Converted to M and C toner colors, and the pictogram separation circuit 20
Is a color character / black character / design by dividing multiple pixels into blocks
The area of (character / halftone) is identified. Under color removal circuit
21, Y converted by the matrix conversion circuit 16b,
Mono-color / full-color signals from M and C image data
Generation of black plate (K) and removal of equal amount of Y, M, C according to
To output the process color image data, and
First, a hue determination is performed to generate a hue signal (Hue). Na
When the pictogram separation circuit 20 performs identification processing, the block
For example, a delay of 12 lines is added to the area identification signal due to
Therefore, the hue signal and the image data are
FIFO2 is the timing to synchronize the data
2a and 22b.

The compression / expansion circuit 23b is for performing expansion / expansion processing on the image data in accordance with the specified expansion / contraction ratio. In the sub-scanning direction, the image input unit 100 changes the scanning speed in accordance with the expansion / contraction ratio to expand / contract the image data. Since the image is expanded, the image data is thinned out or interpolated in the main scanning direction. The expansion / contraction circuit 23a is for expanding / contracting the area command so that the execution area of the area control information does not shift in correspondence with the expansion / contraction processing on the image data. The area control information subjected to the reduction / expansion processing is the area decoder 24.
Is decoded by and processed by each processing block. The area decoder 24 uses an area command, an area identification signal,
The switching signal of the parameter 25 of the filter, the coefficient of the multiplier 26, and the parameter of the TRC circuit 27 is generated and distributed from the hue signal.

The filter 25 removes halftone moiré and emphasizes edges of characters on the image data reduced or enlarged by the reduction / enlargement circuit 23b according to the spatial frequency. The TRC circuit 27 is for adjusting the density according to the characteristics of the IOT using a conversion table,
29 indicates TRC depending on the signal of the developing process and area identification
It is a decoder that switches the parameters of the conversion table of the circuit 27. The multiplier 26 performs ax + b calculation on the image data x using the coefficients a and b, and the coefficient is switched between through in the case of halftone and high γ in the case of character. Then, the color adjustment for color characters, black characters, and patterns is performed by appropriately selecting the coefficient and conversion table for each color component used in combination with the TRC circuit 27.
The density is adjusted. Further, the parameters of the filter 25 can be standardized, and the edge emphasis of the character can be adjusted by the coefficients a and b. The image data adjusted by these is stored in the memory system or dot-developed by the screen generation unit 28 of the ROS 300 and output as a halftone image.

The edit processing section 400 performs color conversion, color edit, area control signal generation, etc., and receives image data L ^* , a ^* , b ^* from the selector 17. The structure is shown in FIG. Then, the LUT 415a converts the chromaticity information from a and b in the orthogonal coordinate system to C and H in the polar coordinate system so that the marker color and other colors can be easily detected, color edited, and converted. The color conversion & palette 413 has, for example, colors used for color conversion and color editing in 32 kinds of palettes, and marker colors for the image data L, C, and H according to area commands input through the delay circuit 411a. It performs processing such as detection, color editing, and color conversion. Then, only the image data of the area where the processing such as color conversion is performed is processed by the color conversion & palette 413 and the LUT 4
After inverse conversion from C, H to a, b in 15b, the image data in the other areas is directly output from the selector 416 and sent to the above-mentioned matrix conversion circuit 16b.

The marker color (3 colors) detected from the image data by the color conversion & palette 413 and the 4-bit signal of the closed area are sent to the density conversion / area generation circuit 405. Density conversion
In the area generation circuit 405, the FIFOs 410a and 410 are
In the 4 × 4 window using b and 410c, if the number of black pixels is equal to or larger than a predetermined number among 16 pixels, a binarization process of setting “1” is performed and density conversion from 400 spi to 100 spi is performed. The marker signal (closed loop or marker dot) thus generated is written in the plane memory 403 from the density conversion / region generation circuit 405 through the DRAM controller 402.

As for the marker / dot signal, the FIF is set so that small dust or the like is not erroneously detected as a marker.
The coordinate value generation circuit 407 detects marker dots and generates coordinate values and stores them in the RAM 406 by delaying them by 3 lines by O408 to form a 3 × 3 window. For the marker dot, the plain memory 40
3 is stored, but this processing is performed to prevent erroneous detection.

The plane memory 403 is a memory for storing area commands for performing color conversion, color editing, and other area editing. For example, the area is designated from the edit pad and the area command is written in the area. be able to. That is, the area command of the area designated by the edit pad is transferred to the graphic controller 401 via the CPU bus and written from the graphic controller 401 to the plane memory 403 via the DRAM controller 402. The plane memory 403 is composed of four sides and has 16 numbers from 0 to 15.
Area commands of various types can be set.

The 4-bit area command stored in the plane memory 403 is read in synchronism with the output of the image data, and the color conversion & palette editing process, the image data processing system shown in FIG. 2, the ENL conversion circuit 15, and the like. The matrix conversion circuit 16, the selector 17, the under color removal circuit 21, and the area decoder 24 are used to switch parameters such as the filter 25, the multiplier 26, the TRC circuit 27, and the screen generation unit 28. When this area command is read from the plane memory 403 and is used for color conversion & palette 413 editing processing, parameter switching in the image data processing system, etc.
The density conversion to 00 spi is necessary, and the density conversion area generation circuit 405 performs the processing. In the density conversion area generation circuit 405, 3 × 3 blocks are formed using the FIFOs 409a and 409b, and data interpolation is performed from the pattern so that the boundary of the closed loop curve or the edit area does not become jagged.
The density is converted to 0 spi. Delay circuit 41
1a, 411b, 1M FIFO412, etc. are for performing timing adjustment of an area command and image data.

In the image composition of the present invention in the above system, for example, by controlling the selector 17 from the image input section 100 and the memory system 200, each image image data is taken into the edit processing section 400, and is stored in the color conversion & palette 413. You may go.

In the color copying machine shown in FIG. 4, the base machine 30 includes a platen glass 31 on which an original is placed, an image input terminal (IIT) 32, an electric system control housing 33, and an image output terminal (IOT) 34. , A paper tray 35, and a user interface (U / I) 36, and optionally an edit pad 61,
Auto Document Feeder (ADF) 62, Sorter 6
3 and a film image reading device including a film projector (F / P) 64 and a mirror unit (M / U) 65.

The image input terminal 32 includes an imaging unit 37, a wire 38 for driving the imaging unit 37,
The imaging unit 37 includes a drive pulley 39 and the like.
Primary color of light B (blue), G (green), R
The image information of a color original which is color-separated into (red) and read using a CCD line sensor is converted into multi-tone digital image data BGR and output to an image processing system. The image processing system is housed in the electric system control housing unit 33, and inputs various BGR image data to perform various conversions, corrections, and editings to improve color, gradation, definition, and other image quality and reproducibility. And the like, and converts the toner primary colors Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black) into the process color gradation toner signal. The converted toner signal is output to the image output terminal 34. The image output terminal 34 includes a scanner 40,
The photosensitive material belt 41 is provided, and the laser output unit 40a converts the image data into an optical signal, and the polygon mirrors 40b, F
The latent image corresponding to the original image is formed on the photosensitive material belt 41 via the / θ lens 40c and the reflection mirror 40d, the image is transferred to the paper conveyed from the paper tray 35, and the color copy is discharged.

In the image output terminal 34, a photosensitive material belt 41 is driven by a drive pulley 41a, and a cleaner 41b, a charger 41c, YMCK developing devices 41d, and a transfer device 41e are arranged around the photosensitive material belt 41.
A transfer device 42 is provided opposite to e. And
When a four-color full-color copy is carried in by gripping the paper sent from the paper tray 35 through the paper transport path 35a, the transfer device 42 is rotated four times to transfer each latent image of YMCK onto the paper, and then the paper is transferred. Is transferred from the transfer device 42 through the vacuum transfer device 43 and fixed by the fixing device 45 and discharged. SSI
The (single sheet inserter) 35b is the paper transport path 3
Paper can be selectively supplied to 5a by manual feeding.

The user interface 36 is used by the user to select a desired function and instruct execution conditions thereof. The user interface 36 is provided with a color display 51 and a hard control panel 52. Further, an infrared touch board 53 is combined with the soft button on the screen. You can directly instruct.

The electric system control housing section 33 is composed of a plurality of control boards which are divided into processing units such as the image input terminal 32, the image output terminal 34, the user interface 36, the image processing system, and the film projector 64. Further, an MCB board (machine control board) for controlling the operation of the mechanism such as the image output terminal 34, the automatic document feeder 62, the sorter 63, etc., and a SYS board for controlling all of these are housed.

FIGS. 5 to 7 are views showing another embodiment of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention. The example shown in FIG. 5 is an example in which a black-and-white image and a color image can be combined. For the lightness information (L ^* ), the same circuit as in FIG. ^* b ^* ) for selector (selection times
11 ) is provided and the information of the color image is adopted as it is. Image Image data B (No.
2) is a color image, and image image data A (first
When the first image) is a monochrome image, the image picture data B by the selector (selecting circuit) 11 by the selection signal SEL
(Second image) is selected, and when both are color images, the selector (selection circuit) 11 selects the image image data A (first image) by the selection signal SEL. In other words, image image data A (first image
Image) is a monochrome image, the image data B (second image) of the color image with respect to the chromaticity information (a ^* b ^* )
The selector (selection circuit) 11 is controlled so that the output of the adder 7 is as it is as the data of the composite image. Therefore, the selector (selection circuit) 11 is provided in the subsequent stage of the adder 7, and the output of the adder and the image image data B (second image
Image), and any one of them may be selected. The image data A ( color image)
It is needless to say that it is also possible to control one image) in the same manner as in the case of the black-and-white image, and to combine only the brightness information with another color image.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, the multiplication coefficient (composite ratio) is used as the image image data A (first image) and the image image data.
Data B (second image) , lightness information (L ^* ) and chromaticity information
In this example, (a ^* b ^* ) can be set independently. In this circuit, the multiplication coefficient for the chromaticity information (composite
It is also possible to combine black and white images by setting ratios f2 and g2 to 0. Multiplying coefficient (composition ratio) g1 is set to "1-f1", f2 is set to "1", and g2 is set to "0". As a result, the same synthesis as in the example shown in FIG. 5 can be performed.

The example shown in FIG. 7 is an example in which in the circuit of FIG. 6, a selector 12 is connected after the adder 7 for chromaticity information so that an arbitrary chromaticity pattern can be selected and output. In this circuit, the hue and saturation are fixed by giving a chromaticity pattern composed of, for example, a constant value registered in advance to the chromaticity information, and only the lightness information is used for the image data A.
It is possible to obtain a monocolor-like composite image in which B and B are composited.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but various modifications can be made. For example, in the above embodiment, a multiplication coefficient is given to each of the image image data A and B, and a composite image is obtained by (image image data B) × f + (image image data A) × (1-f) However, this is (image image data B-image image data A) × f
Alternatively, it may be obtained from the + image image data A 1. As a result, in the example of FIG. 1B, the number of multipliers can be reduced by one. This can be similarly applied to the example of FIG. 6, and can also be applied to values such as BGR and YMC. In addition, the combined image data may be configured to select and output, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, watermark composition or data for which watermark composition is not performed, according to a region signal input from the outside.

[0044]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Image acquisition means for acquiring an image represented by lightness information and chromaticity information, and the first and second images acquired by the image acquisition means, the lightness information and the chromaticity information are combined independently and at a desired ratio. An image combining processing unit capable of performing the image combining processing unit, and the image combining processing unit, when a predetermined mode is set, at least when the image combining of the first and second images is performed, , The chromaticity information of one of the first and second images is used as the chromaticity information after combining,
Various image synthesizing processes can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a signal processing system of the image processing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an editing processing system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a mounting mechanism of the image processing apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional color digital copying machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... First color conversion means, 2 ... Image processing means, 3 ... Second color conversion means, 4, 6 ... Multiplier, 5 ... Subtractor, 7 ... Adder

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Kazumi Taniuchi, 2274 Hongo, Ebina, Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor: Hiroshi Sekine, 2274, Hongo, Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture (72, Fuji Xerox, Inc.) ) Inventor Masahiro Ishiwata 2274 Hongo, Ebina City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. (56) Reference JP-A-2-295346 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 1/38-1/393 H04N 1/46-1/64 G06T 1/00 510

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image acquisition unit for acquiring a first image (A) and a second image (B) represented by lightness information and chromaticity information, a first combination ratio (f) and "1". A combination ratio setting means for setting a second combination ratio (1-f) obtained by subtracting the first combination ratio from, and a value obtained by multiplying the brightness information of the first image by the first combination ratio. , Lightness information synthesizing means for adding the lightness information of the second image and the product of the second synthesis ratio, and selecting either the chromaticity information of the first image or the second image. Selecting means, multiplying the chromaticity information of the first image by the first combining ratio, and multiplying the chromaticity information of the image selected by the selecting means by the second combining ratio. An image processing apparatus, comprising: a chromaticity information synthesizing unit that adds the obtained chromaticity information. 2. An image acquisition means for acquiring a first image (A) and a second image (B) represented by lightness information and chromaticity information, a first combination ratio (f) and “1”. A combination ratio setting means for setting a second combination ratio (1-f) obtained by subtracting the first combination ratio from, and a value obtained by multiplying the brightness information of the first image by the first combination ratio. , Lightness information combining means for adding the lightness information of the second image and a product of the second combining ratio, and multiplying the chromaticity information of the first image by the first combining ratio. And the chromaticity information combining unit that adds the chromaticity information of the second image and the product of the second synthesizing ratio and the chromaticity information output from the chromaticity information synthesizing unit, or An image processing apparatus comprising: a selection unit that selects any one of the chromaticity information of the first image. . 3. Image acquisition means for acquiring a first image (A) and a second image (B) represented by lightness information and chromaticity information, a first composition ratio (f1) relating to lightness information, and Composition ratio setting means for setting a second composition ratio (g1), a third composition ratio (f2) and a fourth composition ratio (g2) relating to chromaticity information, and lightness information of the first image and the first image. A luminosity information synthesizing unit for adding the luminosity information of the first image and the luminosity information synthesizing unit for adding the luminosity information of the second image and the product of the second synthesizing ratio; And a third synthesizing ratio, and chromaticity information synthesizing means for adding chromaticity information of the second image and the fourth synthesizing ratio. A characteristic image processing device.