JPH03105688A - Picture synthesizing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To output only a pattern by automatically generating an erasing frame to conceal and erase a frame on a layout mount at the time when a pattern frame generated along the frame on a layout mount picture is a working rule. CONSTITUTION:A layout mount 9 and a printed picture 6 are inputted as picture information and are displayed on a display means to draw the layout in a working station. When the layout picture is fitted to a frame 7 of the layout mount 9 and is outputted and recorded to a picture output device with the resolution higher than that of the display picture, the pattern frame 7 of the layout picture is used to generate the erasing frame 8 on the frame 7, and the layout picture 6 is put on the erasing frame 8 so as to prohibit the output of the frame at the time of recording the layout picture. Thus, the frame is erased to output only the picture onto the layout mount without unnecessary designation.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Purpose of the Invention: (Industrial Application Field) This invention reads a character image and a picture image of a layout mount (block mount, rough specified paper, etc.), and then lays it out and outputs it. The present invention relates to an image synthesis method that outputs only the pattern without outputting the frame when a pattern, halftone dot, etc. is inserted into a frame of a layout mount and outputted in an image processing system.

(Prior art) As an image processing system for printing companies that demand high quality, there is currently no system that comprehensively integrates and edits images such as characters and patterns, or even if it does exist, the capability is low and it is not practical. It wasn't on point. In particular, the desktop publishing field is becoming possible with page description languages such as PostScript, but the capabilities and performance in the image field are low. Systems for printing companies also exist, but they are not sufficient to handle large amounts of data at high speeds. The reason for this is that there is too much data to process for processing by CPU (software) and a description language for integrated processing of text and images, resulting in a lack of performance. be. When outputting only code data to create a print version, it is necessary to convert each character to a bitmap and also develop each raster into a bitmap in advance, and when outputting only a bitmap. is designed to store all or part of the output image in a temporary buffer and send it to the output device, and in order to reduce the memory capacity of the buffer, the output device waits while the output image is stored in the buffer. It seems to (become)

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, with the above-mentioned device, it is not possible to layout and output text and pictures at the same time, and even if a character bitmap is laid out in advance on a puffer that outputs the bitmap, The drawback was that it took a lot of time to implement. Alternatively, the letters and pictures are output on separate sheets of paper or film, and a skilled cutter cuts them on the paper or film. For this reason, repeated operations such as exposure and printing are often time-consuming, and the photosensitive material that is used in the interim is wasted.

Furthermore, in general, if the graphic frame drawn based on the frame on the image on the layout mount is a so-called Atari line, it is necessary to invalidate the frame on the layout mount. In this case, the frame protrudes from the created figure frame, and in order to erase this, you must convert black pixels to white pixels for each pixel of the image on the layout mount, or create a new one that includes the entire frame. You must create a figure frame to cover it.

This invention was made due to the circumstances mentioned above,
An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing system that electronically and interactively edits text and picture image data in large quantities and at high speed. To provide an image synthesis method that outputs an image by fitting it into a frame, and also outputs only the image by erasing the frame on a layout board without giving any extra instructions.

Structure of the Invention; (Means for Solving the Problems) This invention compresses and compresses the density data of an image read by an input device, and temporarily stores this compressed image data in a puffer. an input controller, a workstation configured to edit the code information and the image data edited by the m-collection input device on the screen using an input operation and display means, and a bus connected to the input controller and workstation. A file server is connected by a line and stores the image data, the code information, and the edited data screen-edited at the workstation in a storage means, and a file server that reads the edited data stored in the storage means and uses the necessary information. data processing,
The present invention relates to an image composition method in an image processing system equipped with an imagesetter configured to output images to an image output device, and the above object of the present invention is to use the input device to generate a layout sheet for printing and/or to print. An image is input as image information and stored in the storage means, the layout board and the print image are displayed on the display means, a layout is drawn at the workstation, and the layout image is sent to the image output device from the display image. When outputting and recording in high resolution and fitting it into the layout of the layout mount, an erasure frame is created on the layout image using the graphic frame of the layout image, and the layout image is placed on the erase frame. This is achieved by recording the layout images by overlapping them and not outputting the frame at the same time. (Function) The image processing system, input controller, and file server of this invention. It consists of an imagesetter, a workstation, and a workstation, each of which is equipped with an independent CPU (microprocessor, microcomputer, etc.), so each part can operate independently and in parallel, producing fast and efficient images. In addition to realizing processing, it is possible to comprehensively interactively edit the information on the layout mount, as well as pictures and characters, to minimize the memory capacity, and to fit high-quality images from the image output device into the frame of the layout mount. Available as hard copy or printable version. Moreover, after reading, inputting and storing the layout sheet and print image with an input controller, and drawing the layout at a workstation that processes the read data with thinned-out data,
When recording and outputting with an image output device, the image is inserted into the image and the frame is not output. (Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an image processing system that is the premise of this invention. letter. The input controller 100 receives the density data DD of the image obtained by reading a document such as a figure, a layout board, etc. with an input device 1 such as a scanner.
e is input, and the input controller 10G uses the built-in CP.
The input density data DD is halftone-ized by the halftone-forming circuit 102 via the UIOI, further compressed by the compression circuit 103, and then temporarily stored in the buffer 104, and then transferred via the SCSI bus to the magnetic field of the file server 200. tape 2
10 or honeyd disk 220, 221, ---
Store it in . The input controller 100 has a local disk (hard disk) 105 for temporarily storing data. The file server 200 has a CPU 201 and is connected to other devices via interfaces 202-205.

Further, the code information CD of characters etc. obtained by the editing input device 2 such as a word processor or typesetting machine is once stored in the floppy disk 3 and then read out and transferred to the workstation a3.
It is entered as 00. The workstation 30G includes a CRT 301 as a display means, a keyboard 302, a mouse 306, and a digitizer 303 as input operation means, and a hard disk 304 as a storage means. The workstation 300 has a plurality of sets of terminal devices each having a floppy disk 305, and each workstation 300 is mutually connected to the file server 200 via Ethernet. Image data thinned out for CRT display obtained by the input controller 100. The frame data and outline display image data are stored on a magnetic tape 210 or hard disks 220, 22.
1,... are stored together with unthinned high-density data for image output, and the thinned data is stored in SCSI
interfaces 204 and 202
control commands and the like are transferred to the workstation 30G via the auxiliary data line 4 to the ink face 2 of the file server 200.
The image setter 400 is further connected to the file server 20θ. The imagesetter 400 is provided with a CPII 401, which is connected via an interface 402 to the auxiliary data line 5 of the file server 200 and via an interface 403 to the scst bus. The imagesetter 400 further includes a sequencer 41G and a puff 7 411 that stores necessary data, and the imagesetter 400 includes a high-quality output device 1O that outputs high-quality images and a laser that outputs relatively low-quality images. Beam printer 11 is connected. In addition, the hard disk 220
, 221... are fixed data such as logos and coats of arms (
The input device 1 stores pictures (halftone images) and vector font data (bitmap data) and vector font data for character output. Line drawing. Character drawing (2
Both density data (value image) are digitized at 8 bits/pixel.The signal input at 8 bits/pixel is input to the input controller.The image is halftone dotted at 100, and information of 4 bits/pixel is generated. .Binary images are converted to 1-bit/pixel information.Furthermore, characters are input as codes from the workstation 300, but may also be input as images from the input device 1.For this reason, When input as an image, even text is treated as an image (bitmap data). All image output is performed by the imagesetter 400, but the imagesetter 400 converts all code and vector information into bitmap data. Since it is converted, image output means outputting bitmap data.

The image processing system described above does not require manual pasting of drawings, photographs, etc., and also eliminates manual phototypesetting, so it is effective in terms of labor and material savings.

Here, details of the input controller 100 will be explained with reference to FIG. Data for. Five sets of data are simultaneously generated and processed: two types of data for display on the CRT 301 of the workstation 300 and image data coarse enough to show an outline. This is because the overall speed can be increased by simultaneous and parallel processing, and the data generation calculation load on the CPUIOI can be reduced by the hardware. That is,
High-density data for high-definition output equipment is produced by a dotting circuit
02l, the data is compressed in a compression circuit 1031, and the compressed data is temporarily stored in a buffer 1041. Further, data for outputting an image by the laser beam printer 11 of relatively low image quality is obtained by thinning (110) . The rough data is halftone-ized by a halftone-dotting circuit 1022 and then compressed by a compression circuit 1032.
, and then temporarily stored in a buffer 1042. Further, two types of coarser data to be displayed on the CRT 301 are obtained by thinning the density data DD at predetermined intervals and then by halftone forming circuits 1023 and 102, respectively.
4, and temporarily save them in buffers 1043 and 1044, respectively. In the case of line drawings that require cutout masks from halftone images, the image data is thinned out after Labrasian processing or unsharp mask processing that shows contour data. (113), and then the binarization circuit 1025 performs 2
The data is converted into a value and temporarily stored in the puffer 1045.

In such a configuration. CP old 01 is the data line (
It communicates with the input device 1 via an auxiliary data line 4 (not shown) and with the file server 200 via an auxiliary data line 4 and a dual port RAM (not shown). Then, when there is a data transmission request from input device 1, CPtl
l01 sets the necessary data for each circuit shown in FIG. 2, stores the setting data in the local disk 105,
Furthermore, setting values related to sub-scanning are set. Input device 1
The density data DD from DD is input line by line, and each circuit shown in FIG. 2 synchronizes with the buffer 104 (
1 to 1045). During this time, CPUIOI is S
Output buffer 104 for CSI bus switching and data compression
Check whether there is error information from various circuits. once buffer 104 and local disk 10
The data stored in 5 is sorted by the command of CPIIIOI and output to the external SCSI bus.

The configuration of the file server 200 is shown in FIG. 1, and this file server 200 has common file management functions such as file management and file sharing, and communication control functions for network communication and inter-unit communication. ing. That is, the file server 200 is a SCSI
Hard disks (220, 221...
...)． Perform file tube embedding on the magnetic tape 210,
Workstation 300 via Ethernet
It has a software interface function with the input controller 1oo and the imagesetter 400, and also performs a service of file management information for the input controller 1oo and the imagesetter 400, as well as a utility function for file management via the SCSI bus. Examples include font registration and SCSI disk garbage collection.

There are two types of font registration here. One is the registration of fonts owned by the system, and this registration involves storing vector fonts created with other font creation systems in the form of magnetic tape on the hard disk of this image processing system.

The other is the registration of external character fonts. External character fonts are characters that do not exist within the system. In this case, fonts created in other systems are registered in this system from a floppy or magnetic tape.

File server 200 is connected to workstation 300. The input controller 100 provides services for data transfer and data storage between the input controller 100 and the imagesetter 400, and the input controller 100 secures areas for various files via the auxiliary data line 4 and dual port RAM. Necessary information regarding deletion is obtained from the file server 200. To register the data once entered in the buffer 104 in the input controller 100 as a file in the image processing system, information such as the file name and file capacity is transferred to the file server 200, and the data is transferred to the hard disks 220, 221, . . . on the SCSI bus. Access... This allows the file server 200 to communicate with the directory. Manages disk areas, etc. The file server 200 also transfers file data to the workstation 300 and receives data from the workstation via Ethernet.

At this time, according to the command from the workstation 300, the file server 200 operates the hard disk (
220. ) and magnetic tape 210, and update necessary information such as directories. It also obtains commands for the imagesetter 40G and magnetic tape 2!0, and performs services accordingly. Furthermore, a predetermined command is sent to the imagesetter 40G via the auxiliary data line 5 and the dual port RAM, file management information is sent in response to a request from the imagesetter 400, and the disk data on the SCSI path is The image setter 400 accesses directly. Furthermore, utility information related to the entire image processing system is managed on the hard disks 220, 221, . . . on the SCSI bus, and font information. This information includes common files on the system. Next, the operation of the workstation 300 will be explained with reference to the flow shown in FIG. 3. Document data edited and stored on the editing input device 2 is read out from the floppy disk 3 (step 5310), The code information CO is subjected to data format conversion (step 5311). And 1 to CRT301
Display the document contents for pages (step 5312),
Move the image data output position of the image read from the layout board etc. using the mouse 306. Keyboard 302. Instruct with the digitizer 303 (step S313), and 1
Create page description data for each page (step 53
14).

This kind of data creation is performed for all pages (step 5315), and then an imposition instruction for creating a copy for company printing is given using the keyboard 302 (step 5316).
, creates imposed page description data (step 5317), transfers the created data to the file server 200 (step 5318), and instructs the imagesetter 400 to output an image, ending the operation (step 5319). ).

Next, an example of the operation during imposition will be described with reference to FIG.

The workstation 300 reads thinned image data from the hard disks 220, 221, . . . of the file server 200 (step 5330), and reads document data from the floppy disk 3 (step 5331). CRT30
1 displays necessary information, and the mouse 306 . Keyboard 302. Image by operating the digitizer 303. documents. Perform the best layout on a page-by-page basis (step 53)
32). Then, a pre-registered imposition type is specified using the keyboard 302 (step S333), and each page is placed in the specified imposition state (for example, A to D in the same figure).
The layout along with the number of pages is displayed on the IIT 301 (step S334).

Here, the registration of imposition is stored with the number of pages added in advance, taking into consideration folding when binding multiple pages, such as 4 sides of A4 size or 8 sides of ^5 size. By selecting and specifying from among the registered pages, the imposition status can be changed to the number of pages (in B, “
1”.’8”, “5”, “4”). In this way, contents such as images and characters are not displayed, and the imagesetter 400 generates and outputs a bitmap according to the page description data (step S335).

FIG. 5 shows a configuration example of an imagesetter 400, in which a CPU bus 412 and an image data bus 413 are connected to a sequencer 410, and a logic operation circuit 4
20 and a first memory 421 are connected. Also, C.P.
The main memory 430 for the CPU 401 is in the 0 path 412.
is connected, and the common memory 424 is connected to the image data bus 4.
13, interfaces 402 and 40
The output of No. 3 is input to the CPU bus 412. CPU
Between the bus 412 and the image data bus 413 is a buffer 433 . The decompressor 440 and the third memory 423 are connected, and the buffer 434, the rask image converter 431, and the second memory 422 are also connected, and the buffer 43
5 and an output control circuit 436 are connected. A vector font memory 432 is connected to the CPυ bus 412, and a high-quality output device is connected to the output control circuit 436 via an output buffer 436^. 0 and a laser beam printer l1 are connected. Vector font memory 432 stores vector fonts necessary for generating character bitmaps by rask image converter 431.

Normally vector fonts are disks (220, 221, .
), but since it is inefficient to read vector fonts via the SCSI bus every time a character bitmap is generated, all necessary vector fonts are read into the vector font memory 432 in advance. This improves the speed of character bitmap generation.

In such a configuration, the operation is as shown in FIG.
An output instruction request is output from 00 to the imagesetter 400 using the file names in the hard disks 220, 221, . . . as parameters. The specifications to be output from now on are written in that file, and the specifications are sequentially decoded to calculate the address of the code data and compressed data for each unit image, and the overlapping process using logical operations is repeated on the addresses. The processing results are stored in the first memory 421. Imagesetter 400 calls the parameter file via the SCSI bus and repeats this operation. For example, for code data, character code and position,
Instruction information such as font and size is provided via SCSI interface 4.
03 (step 5400), the rask image data is converted by the rask image converter 431 via the buffer 434 (step 5401), and the rask image data is stored in the second memory 422 (step 5402). Also, compressed image data is S
The data is input via the interface 403 via the CSI bus (step 5403), and is decompressed and restored by the decompressor 440 via the buffer 433 (step 540).
4) The restored image data is stored in the third memory 423.
(Step S405). Furthermore, bitmap data such as logos stored in the hard disks 220, 22l, .
(Step 5407). Second memory 422
~ All data stored in the common memory 424 is bitmap data, and these stored data are
The logical operation is performed by the logical operation circuit 420 via the i (step 541G), and the data that has been subjected to the logical operation to synthesize, edit, or image process pictures, documents, etc. is stored in the first memory 4.
21 (step 5411). 1st memory 4
After the data is stored in 21, it is determined whether the process is finished, that is, whether there are any modifications or additions (step 5412),
The above operation is continued until logical operations such as correction are completed.

This logical operation circuit 420 generates bitmap data generated from character code data. Bitmap data expanded from compressed image data, and sum, product, and difference of bitmap data. It performs logical operations such as exclusive OR in cooperation with the CPtl 401 to generate image information to be outputted to the output device IO or laser beam printer 11.

Here, if the graphic frame drawn by relying on the frame on the layout mount image with the above-mentioned image processing system is a ruled line, it is necessary to invalidate the frame on the layout mount. In other words, Figure 7 (^)
Image 6 laid out on the workstation 300
If the image 6 is inserted into the frame 7 and combined, the frame 7 will be output as shown in the image (C). Therefore, if the graphic frame is a ruled line, only the picture must be output and the frame 7 must not be output, as shown in FIG. 7(D). For this reason, in this invention, as shown in FIG. An erasing frame 8 with a width sufficient to cover the frame 7 is automatically created with a polygonal line connecting all the constituent points with a line dot density of 0%, so as to be located under the drawn figure. The frame 7 above the layout mount is covered and hidden.

Next, a specific example will be explained with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

First, the image of the layout board 9 on which the frame 7 is drawn, read by the input device 1, is displayed on the CRT 301 (step Sl).
, the operator instructs a rectangular frame drawing command using the mouse 306 (step S2). Then, select two diagonal vertices of frame 7 and point them with points using the mouse 306 so that the cursor is as close to the black pixels of the frame line as possible (step S3).
, create a rectangular frame with the two specified points as diagonal vertices, and draw a polygonal line that passes through the four vertices including the remaining two vertices and covers the surrounding ruled lines of frame 7 as an erase frame 8, separate from the rectangular frame. 8th
It is generated as shown in the figure (step S5). At this time,
For example, if the line width is 1 mm, it should be 0.5 mm on each side of the line, and the flat II4tIA degree of the line should be 0%, that is, the line should be white and opaque to light. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, a layout mount 9 on which a frame 7 is drawn.
The image is at the bottom, and the automatically generated erasing frame 8 is placed on top of it, and the three images created on top of it are made to coincide and overlap at the four vertices, and then displayed or output (
Step S6). As a result, the frame 7 on the layout mount 9 is erased, and only the newly created figure frame is displayed together with the image in Figure 7 (
D) appears (step 57).

Here, the graphic frame to be drawn is not limited to a rectangle, but may be any graphic including a curved line, and the erasing frame generated therefrom may similarly be any graphic. Furthermore, the width of the polygonal line of the erasing frame can also be set arbitrarily.

Effects of the Invention: As described above, according to the image synthesis method of the present invention, a large amount of text and picture image data can be edited at high speed, and a high-quality printing image in the format specified by the layout can be output. It is possible to convert vector information into bitmaps and perform image processing using hardware. processing. In an image processing system that can easily create an AW collection and layout and output text and pictures, if the graphic frame created by relying on the frame on the layout mount image is an Atari ruled line, It is possible to automatically create an erasing frame without giving any extra instructions, and erase the frame by covering it on the layout board.

4 is a flowchart for explaining the imposition operation; FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the imagesetter; FIG. 6 is a flowchart for illustrating an example of its operation. 8 and 8 are diagrams for explaining the image synthesis method of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the present invention.

1... Input device, 2... Editing input device, 3... Floppy disk, lO... High-quality output device, 100...
- Input controller, 200... File server, 3
00...Workstation, 301...CRT
, 302... Keyboard, 303... Digitizer, 306... Mouse, 400... Imagesetter, 101, 201, 401... CPU,

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An input controller that halftones and compresses the density data of the image read by the input device and temporarily stores the compressed image data in a buffer, and A workstation is connected to the input controller and the workstation by a balance line, the workstation is configured to edit the screen of the code information and the image data using an input operation means and the display means, and the workstation is connected to the input controller and the workstation by a balance line, a file server for storing edited data screen-edited on a workstation in a storage means; a file server for reading out the edited data stored in the storage means and performing necessary data processing;
In an image compositing method in an image processing system comprising an imagesetter configured to output an image to an image output device, the layout sheet for printing and/or the print image is inputted as image information by the input device, and the The layout image is stored in a storage means, the layout image is displayed on the display means, the layout is drawn at the workstation, and the layout image is displayed on the image output device at a higher resolution than the display image and on the layout image of the layout sheet. When outputting and recording by fitting it into a frame, an erasing frame is created above the frame using the graphic frame of the layout image, and the layout image is superimposed on the erasing frame, thereby recording the layout image. An image synthesis method characterized in that the frame is not output when the image is synthesized.