JPS61157154A - Picture processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To form satisfactorily a picture with a common picture forming device for the picture signal from the device which generates a picture signal of a mutually different resolution by converting an input picture signal to a picture signal of the prescribed resolution, and forming the picture of the fixed picture element density. CONSTITUTION:A resolution converting circuit as shown in the figure is provided at the high speed printer. When the recording part is recorded in the main scanning direction, the clock from a basic clock generating circuit 56 is selected at a clock change-over circuit 57, synchronizing with the clock, a parallel serial register 52 converts the signal, and then, at the recording part, one picture element is recorded for one bit of a picture signal. On the other hand, the above- mentioned clock is divided to 1/2 by a frequency dividing circuit 55. The clock is selected by a switching circuit 57 and is the synchronizing clock of the register 52, and then, at the recording part, the recording for two picture elements is executed for one bit of a serial signal. A control circuit 53 generates a data transfer signal by a recording starting signal from a transfer data counter 54, a frequency dividing circuit 58 divides said signal to 1/2 and a switching circuit 59 executes the same action as the switching circuit 57.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an image processing system that electrically processes images.

A digital copying machine has been proposed that forms an image based on an image signal obtained by photoelectrically reading an image.

Furthermore, by handling the image as an electrical signal, it becomes possible to transmit the image to a remote location or store it in an electrical memory, etc. Furthermore, it is possible to connect multiple processing devices with a cable, It is possible to construct a network system that transmits images between these devices.

Incidentally, it is desirable that various devices that electrically handle images can be connected to such a system. However, each type of device has characteristics depending on its original function, and if the characteristics do not match, image transmission between the devices may be impossible or may not be carried out satisfactorily.

For example, when reading images photoelectrically, the required resolutions are different when reading books, documents, etc. and when reading microfilm, so these can be read using a common printer connected to a network. When attempting to form an image, that is, when reading a document at 16 pixels/frame and reading a microfilm at 8 pixels/field, and recording these images at a fixed pixel density, the image is recorded. The sizes are at a ratio of 2:1 both vertically and horizontally, resulting in inconsistent recorded image sizes.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides an image processing system that can connect devices with different characteristics. Specifically, the present invention provides an image processing system that can connect devices with different characteristics. The present invention provides an image processing system that can form images satisfactorily using a common image forming apparatus.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below using the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external connection diagram of an image processing system to which the present invention is applied. Reference numeral 1 denotes a control section (referred to as a work station) which includes a microcomputer for system control, an internal memory composed of RAM, ROM, etc., and an external memory composed of a floppy disk, cartridge, disk, etc.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a document reader which is an input section of the digital copying machine and reads the document information of the document placed on the document table using an image pickup device such as a CCD at a resolution of 16 pixels/day and converts it into an electrical signal.
is a high-speed printer that records an image on a recording material at a pixel density of 16 pixels/h based on information converted into an electrical signal from a laser beam printer or the like at the output section of a digital copying machine. 4 is an image file that has a storage medium such as an optical disk or a magneto-optical disk, and is capable of writing and reading a large amount of image information. 5 is a microfilm file, and the image information on the microfilm searched with the microfilm search section is
It is equipped with a microfilm reader section that reads data at a resolution of 8 pixels/frame using an image pickup device such as a CD and converts it into an electrical signal. Reference numeral 6 has a photosensitive belt in which a photoconductive layer is provided on a transparent conductive strip-shaped substrate, and an image is generated by irradiating the photoconductive layer with a laser beam modulated according to an input image signal through the substrate. An electrostatic latent image corresponding to the brightness and darkness of light is formed on the photoconductive layer, and this formed latent image is developed with a conductive and magnetic toner (developer) held on a toner carrier to create a display image. It is a high-resolution soft display that forms. 7 is a CR that displays image information photoelectrically read by the digital copying machine and microfilm file input scanner (reader), or system control information, etc.
It is a T device. Cables 8 to 13 electrically connect each input/output device. Reference numeral 14 denotes a keyboard provided in the control section 1, and by operating this keyboard 14, system operation commands, etc. are issued. Reference numeral 15 denotes an operation panel for instructing the operation of the digital copying machine, and includes setting keys for the number of copies, copy magnification, etc., a copy key 16 for instructing the start of copying, a numerical display, and the like.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the image processing system shown in FIG. Each block corresponding to that in FIG. 1 is given the same number as in FIG. First, each block within the control section 1 will be explained. Reference numeral 31 denotes a keyboard, which corresponds to the keyboard 14 shown in the first figure, through which the operator inputs system operation commands. 32 is a microcomputer (e.g. model 6800 made by R-Ra)
It is a central processing unit (CPU) consisting of 0). 33 is a read-only memory ROM in which a system control program is preloaded, and the CPU 32 uses this ROM.
Control operations are performed according to the program written in M33.

34 is a random access memory RAM, mainly C
It can be used as a working memory of the PU 32 and a page memory for storing image signals exchanged between each input/output section. 35 is 70. This is an external memory consisting of a B disk, and stores a system control program, a database for searching images from image files, etc., which will be described later. Reference numeral 36 denotes a communication interface that enables information to be exchanged with other similar systems or terminals using a communication line such as a local area network.

Reference numeral 37 denotes an input/output interface 7A that accomplishes information exchange between the control unit 1 and each input/output device. 39 is an optical disk interface for exchanging MA with the image file 4; 40 is a CR, a CRT for exchanging information with T8;
It is an interface. Reference numeral 41 denotes a 16-bit path through which signals are transferred from each block within the control section 1. 8 to 13 are cables that electrically connect each input/output device as described above, and control signals and image signals are transmitted. Note that the arrows on the cables indicate the flow of image signals. Also, the flow of control signals is bidirectional in the cable.

As is clear from the figure, the document reader 2 of the digital copying machine 42, the high-speed printer 3, the microfilm file 5,
The soft display 6 has cables 11, 12, 9,
10, it is connected to the input/output interface 37 of the control unit 1. Further, the image file 4 and the C-T7 are transferred to each interface 3 of the control unit 1 via cables 13 and 8, respectively.
Connected at 9.40. The CRT 7 is provided with a display R and AM 43 for storing image information to be displayed. Also,
The image signals input and output from each input/output device are serial signals, and the information on the control bus 41 is a parallel signal. A register and a parallel-serial register for image signal output are provided.

Image signals output from the document reader 2 or the microfilm file 5 are input to the input/output interface 37 of the control section 1 line by line.

The input/output interface 37 converts the serially inputted image signal into a parallel signal of every 16 bits and outputs it onto the bus 41. The image signal output on bus 41 is RAM
Each page is sequentially input into 34 image areas. The image signal stored in the AM34 in this way is transferred to the path 4 again.
1 and output to the outside via the communication interface 36, sent to the image file 4 via the optical disk interface 39 and written to an optical disk, or sent via the input/output interface 7 An image is formed by selectively transmitting the image to the printer 3 and the soft display 6.

Further, the image signal of the image file 4 read from the optical disk is once written in the RAM 34 and then selectively transmitted to the high-speed printer 3 and the software display 6 via the input/output interface 37.

The control related to the transmission of the image signal described above is executed by the CPU 32 in accordance with the operation command input by the operator using the keyboard 31.

As mentioned above, the document reader 2 is a device capable of generating image information at a resolution of 16 pixels/fl, and the microfilm file 5 is a device capable of generating image information at a resolution of 8 pixels/fl. The high-speed printer 3 is a device that forms images at a fixed pixel density of 1.6 pet/ynm.

Therefore, the resolutions of the image signals generated from the document reader 2 and the microfilm file 5 are different from each other.
These image signals are supplied as they are to the high-speed printer 3,
When images are formed, the sizes of the formed images differ. Further, the same applies when forming an image using an image signal that has been once stored on an optical disk and read out.

In this embodiment, in order to eliminate such inconveniences, a function is provided to convert the resolution of the image signal input to the high-speed printer 3.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of a resolution conversion circuit provided in the high-speed printer 3.

Further, FIG. 3 shows a pixel recording method of the high-speed printer 3. The recording section of the high-speed printer 3 records an image pixel by pixel at a predetermined speed on the image output paper 17 at a fixed pixel density in the main scanning direction for each bit of the input digital image signal. Further, recording is performed sequentially at a predetermined speed in the sub-scanning direction as well.

In FIG. 4, digital image signals for one column in the main scanning direction of the high speed printer 3 are transferred from the input/output interface 7 ace 37 to the buffer memory 51. A digital image signal is outputted from the buffer memory 51 as a parallel signal in units of one word to a parallel-serial register 52 and converted into a serial signal. Based on this serial signal, the recording section of the high-speed printer 3 records pixels in the main scanning direction.

Here, the clock output from the basic chromatic signal generation circuit 56 is selected by the chromatic signal switching circuit 57, and when the parallel-serial register 52 converts the signal in synchronization with this clock, the recording section performs signal conversion for one bit of the digital image signal. An image of one pixel is recorded.

On the other hand, the clock output from the basic clock generation circuit 56 is frequency divided by 1/2 by the frequency dividing circuit 55, so that the frequency q becomes 1/2. If this frequency-divided clock is selected by the clock switching circuit 57 and used as the synchronization clock for the parallel-serial register 52, the high-speed printer will produce a signal corresponding to 2 pixels in the main scanning direction for 1 bit of the serial signal. Execute recording.

In this way, pixel interpolation in the main scanning direction is performed by the frequency dividing circuit 55.

On the other hand, the number of black and white pixels applied to the parallel-serial register 52 is counted by the transfer data counter 54, and the number of black and white pixels corresponding to the number of pixels for one main scanning line in the recording section of the high-speed printer 3 is counted. By counting, a recording start signal for the next line is generated in the control circuit 53.

In response to this recording start signal, the control circuit 53 generates a transfer signal to the buffer memory 51 and can execute the transfer of the stored image signal to the parallel-serial register 52. Further, the transfer signal from the control circuit 53 is applied to the frequency dividing circuit 58 and the switching circuit 59. The frequency dividing circuit 58 divides the frequency of this transfer signal into 1/2. The switching circuit 59, like the clock switching circuit 57 described above, selects one of the two signals. If the clock switching circuit 57 selects the clock signal from the basic clock generation circuit 56, the transfer signal from the control circuit 53 is selected;
On the other hand, when the clock switching circuit 57 selects the output clock of the frequency dividing circuit 55, the output signal from the frequency dividing circuit 58 is selected.

The output selected by the switching circuit 59 is sent to the input/output interface 37, thereby allowing the next line of image signals to be output to the high-speed printer 3.

As a result, when the output of the frequency dividing circuit 58 is selected by the switching circuit 58, a new image signal is output from the input/output interface 7 ace 37 every time two lines of image are recorded in the high speed printer 3. Therefore, the same image signal is transferred from the buffer memory 51 to the parallel-serial register twice, and therefore, two lines of image recording are executed in the recording section of the high-speed printer 3 using the same image signal. Ru. In this way, pixel interpolation in the sub-scanning direction is performed.

On the other hand, when pixel interpolation in the sub-scanning direction is not required, the switching circuit 59 selectively outputs the transfer signal from the control circuit 53, and a new image signal is input from the input/output interface 37 every time one line of image is recorded. .

In this way, the clock switching circuit 57 and the switching circuit 59
By operating pixel interpolation operations in the main scanning and sub-scanning directions can be selected. That is, when the interpolation operation is selected, for example, an image signal of 8 pixels/dragon is converted into an image signal with a resolution of 16 pixels/dragon. Therefore, it is possible to record an image of a predetermined size and pixel density even when inputting an image signal with a resolution of 8 pixels/frame.

The clock switching circuit 57 and the switching circuit 59 are switched by a resolution signal indicating the resolution of the input image signal, and this resolution signal is input to the input image signal by the operator from the keyboard 31 of the workstation or the operation panel 15 of the digital copying machine. The signal may be inputted by selecting the document reader 2 or the microfilm file 5 as the generation source, or may be automatically generated from the image signal generating device.

By providing the above-mentioned resolution conversion circuit in the high-speed printer 3, the high-speed printer 3 can convert image signals of a predetermined size and good quality regardless of image signals from either the document reader 2 or the microfilm file 5 connected to the system with different resolutions. It is capable of recording images.

In the above embodiments, resolutions of 16 pixels/frame and 8 pixels/frame have been described, but the present invention is equally effective for other resolutions. Furthermore, a storage medium such as an optical disk can also be used as a generation source of the image signal. Furthermore, a display or the like can be used as an image forming means.

As explained above, according to the present invention, the means for generating a plurality of image signals with different resolutions can be used as a component of the system, and the image signals generated from these can be used as a common image forming means of the system. This allows good image formation and increases the degree of freedom in system construction and modification.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an external connection diagram of an image processing system to which the present invention is applied; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the image processing system shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the image recording operation of a high-speed printer; Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a resolution conversion circuit, in which 2 is a manuscript league, 3 is a high-speed printer, 5 &
Microfilm file, 51, Nogutsu 7 Amemo l
J, 55G1 frequency dividing circuit. 1 person Canon Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] The image forming means includes a plurality of image signal generating means that generate image signals of mutually different resolutions, and an image forming means that forms an image based on the image signals generated from the plurality of image signal generating means, and the image forming means receives input. An image processing system that converts an image signal into an image signal of a predetermined resolution and forms an image with a fixed pixel density.