JPS62150478A - Picture information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a picture with high quality applying binarization expression emphasizing the gradation for a photographic picture and applying binarization expression emphasizing the resolution for a character picture. CONSTITUTION:When a character flag signal read from a picture memory 4 is at '0', a data identification means identifies a data as a color gradation picture data. Thus, a data selector 8 selects a density modulation data applying density modulation to a color gradation picture data and outputs the result to a display device or a printer. Thus, the photographic picture with high gradation is obtained. Further, a data identification means identifies a data as a character pattern data when a character flag signal read from the picture memory 4 is at '1'. Thus, the data selector 8 selects the character pattern data and gives output to the display device or the printer. Thus, the character picture with high resolution is obtained on the same screen or on the same paper as the photographic picture.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Application in Business A] The present invention relates to an image information processing apparatus, and particularly to an image information processing apparatus that handles a mixed image of a gradation image and a character image.

[Prior Art] Generally, photographic images require high gradation, but resolution does not need to be so high. Therefore, conventionally, density modulation methods such as the so-called dither conversion method have been widely adopted, which express gradation by controlling how many dots are placed in a predetermined area. However, for character images, binary recording per pixel is sufficient, and high resolution is required instead. Therefore, when character images are handled using the dither conversion method as in the past, there is a drawback that not only the resolution is low but also the character images become blurred.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and its purpose is to simultaneously achieve high gradation of photographic images and high resolution of character images. It is an object of the present invention to provide a satisfying image information processing device.

[Means for Solving the Problem] As a means for solving this problem, for example, the image information processing apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG. , M, C,) and a character code generated by, for example, a keyboard (not shown), the character generator 2
Character pattern data MP, CC (for example, 16
(consisting of character pattern data MP for bits and color specification data CC for 8 bits) as a 1 bit character flag signal
data identification means (corresponding to a configuration for storing and reading out the character flag signal FLG) for identifying according to the level of G, and density modulation data C by modulating the color gradation image data CVD.
Modulation means 9 to 16 output VD' and the density modulation data CVD' or the character pattern data MCD' (MP, data selection means 8 for selectively outputting data (corresponding to CC).

[Operation] In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the data identifying means identifies color gradation image data when the character flag signal FLG read from the image memory 4 is "0". Thereby, the data selection means 8 selects density modulation data CVD' obtained by density modulating the color gradation image data CVD and outputs it to a display device or a printing device (laser beam printer). Therefore, for example, a photographic image with high gradation can be obtained. Further, the data identifying means identifies character pattern data when the character flag signal FLG read from the image memory 4 is "1". Thereby, the data selection means 8 selects the character pattern data MCD' and outputs it to a display device or a printing device.

Therefore, a high-resolution character image can be obtained on the same screen or paper as the photographic image.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. In the figure, 1 is an image input device that reads and outputs color image data CVD having gradation, 2 is a character generator that generates character pattern data MP and color designation data CC according to character codes inputted from a keyboard, for example, and 3
is the input mode of the image data, and the color image data CVD with the FLG bit 'O' added according to the signal I,
A data selector selects either character image data MP or CC with FLG bit "1" added, 4 is color image data CVD of 4 colors Y, M, C, K (8 bits each), and 16 Character pattern data M for bits
An image memory stores character image data MP and CC1 consisting of P and 8-bit color designation data CC, and an identification flag FLG for identifying both image data; 5 generates a write/read address for the image memory 4; address generator,
6 are 8-bit character pattern data MP-1 and MP-2 read from memory plane Y and memory plane M, respectively.
A data selector that manually selects and outputs any one bit out of a total of 16 bits of input data using 2-bit selection signals X and Y on select terminals sl and s2. Color pattern data MCD' or color background data M corresponding to logic 1 or logic 0 of bit pattern signal BP output from data selector 6 according to color designation data CC
8 is a color generator that generates CD', and 8 is dither-converted color image data CVD' and character color image data MCD.
' is input, and a data selector selects and outputs one of both image data according to a selection signal FLG read from a memory brain FLG. 9 to 12 are leads that store a 4×4 dither matrix (threshold value). Only memories (ROMs) 13-16 are comparators for comparing each 8-bit color image data Y, M, C, with the 8-bit dither threshold read out from ROMs 9-12.

FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d) are diagrams illustrating dither conversion processing of gradation image data.

In Fig. 2(a), the content (Y) of the gradation image data Y is “0”.
In this case, the address generator 5 is in the ROM 9.
Since the relationship (Y) > (threshold) is not satisfied even if all 16 threshold values are scanned, the dither pattern (Y'
) are all formed with a mortar. In this embodiment, one dither threshold value corresponds to a dither output canister of 4×4 dots.

In FIG. 2(b), the content (M) of the gradation image data M is "32".
”, and when the address generation @S scans all the threshold values of the ROM 10, the relationship (M')>(threshold value) is satisfied in the second row, second column, and third column of the dither output canister. Therefore, The dither patterns (M') in the second row, second column, and third column are formed in magenta.

In FIG. 2(e), the content (C) of the gradation image data C is "64".
”, and when the address generator 5 scans all the threshold values of RoMll, the second and third rows of the dither output canister are
The relationship (C)>(threshold) is satisfied in the second and third columns of the row. Therefore, the second and third columns of the second and third rows
The column dither pattern (C') is formed in cyan.

In Fig. 2(d), the content (K) in the gradation image data is “12”.
8", and when the address generator 5 scans all the threshold values in the ROM 12, (K) is generated in the first digit of the dither output canister and in the first to third columns of the second and third rows.
> (threshold value) is satisfied. Therefore, the first digit,
The dither patterns (K') in the first to third columns of the second and third rows are formed in black.

Based on the above, for example, when displaying a gradation image on the CR7 screen (not shown), the procedure is as follows.

The address generator 5 reads out gradation image data along the scanning line of the CRT screen. When photographic image data is read out from the zero image memory 4, the FLG bit is 0''.
0'' in the LG bit causes the address generator 5 to update the address normally (address register contents + 1) and changes the selection of the data selector 8 to A.
to the side. That is, the color image data read out from the brane into Y, M, and C is dither-converted as described above and converted into CR.
The signal is sent to the T display section. In this case, conversion between the Y, M, and C systems and the R, G, and B systems is performed as necessary.

Next, the operator uses a keyboard or the like to overlay text on the displayed photographic image. The character code generated by the keyboard is converted by the character generator 2 into character pattern information MP and color designation information CC for one character, and the character pattern image is written at the position in the image memory 4 pointed to by the cursor on the photo image, for example. It will be done. At this time, the character flag FLG "1'" is written in the memory location where the character pattern image is overlaid.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating processing of character image data. In this way, when the character image data is read from the image memory 4, the FLG bit is "1". In this case, the Y and M brane data read from the image memory 4 are treated as character pattern data. That is, the data of the Y and M branes are input to the selector 6. Further, the address generator 5 outputs bit selection signals X and Y upon receiving the FLG bit 1''.The data selector 6 outputs the bit selection signals X and Y.
The 6-bit character pattern signals MP-1 and MP-2 are sequentially selected one bit at a time by bit selection signals X and Y,
Input to color generator 7. The color generator 7 generates 3-bit color data MCD' of Y, M, and C (4-bit color data MCD' to which K is added if necessary) based on the color designation data CC read from the C-brane.

In Figure 3, each 8 read from the Y and M branes
Bit data (Y) and (M) are part of the character pattern MP-1. Configure MP-2. pattern data M
The upper 4 bits nl of P-1 determine the pattern of the first row when the 16×16 dot dither output canine is divided into 4×4 dot areas as one unit. The lower 4 bits n2 of pattern data MP-1 determine the pattern for the second row. The upper four bits n3 of pattern data MP-2 determine the pattern of the third row. The lower four bits n4 of pattern data MP-2 determine the pattern of the fourth row. These four patterns constitute part of the character pattern.

In addition, in the color generator F, 8 cut data (C) read from the C-brane is used as color designation data CC. The upper 4 bits of the color designation data CC are color designation data FG for a character pattern (foreground), and the lower 4 bits of the color designation data CC are color designation data BG for a character pattern other than the character pattern (pack ground).

In addition, since the K component is not generated in the example, FG, BG
Both use the lower 3 bits. Furthermore, Y in order from the lower bit of each of FG and BG.

It is associated as a bit that energizes M and C. Therefore, when the color pattern signal BP is "1", the color generator 7 in FIG. 1 generates foreground color data MCD' in accordance with the character pattern color designation data FG.

Further, when the bit pattern signal BP is "O", background color data MCD' is generated according to the background color designation data BG.The color data MCD' thus generated is "1" of the identification code FLG.
”, the signal passes through the B side of the data selector 8 and is sent to the CRT display section.

Although the above embodiment has been described with respect to display on a CRT screen, the same applies to output on other printing devices.

Further, in the description of the above embodiment, a dither conversion method was used as the density modulation means, but it is also possible to use a pulse width modulation method, a density pattern method, or the like instead.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to perform binary expression with emphasis on gradation for photographic images, and to perform binary expression with emphasis on resolution for character images. All images can be provided in high quality.

Furthermore, by adding a simple identification code to the image data, even if image data of different characteristics, such as a photo image and a text image, coexist, they can be easily identified and displayed or printed in the same area.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of an image information processing device according to an embodiment. FIGS. 2(a) to (d) are diagrams explaining dither conversion processing of gradation image data. FIG. 3 is a diagram explaining processing of character image data. FIG. In the figure, 1... image input device, 2... character generator, 3
...Data selector, 4...Image memory, 5...
Address generator, 6...Data selector, 7...Color generator, 8...Data selector, 9-12--Read only memory (ROM), 13-16--Comparator. Prisoner 2 (“G”) Figure 2 (C) (d)

Claims (1)

[Claims] data identification means for identifying gradation image data and binary pattern data; modulation means for modulating the gradation image data to output density modulated data; Alternatively, an image information processing apparatus comprising data selection means for selectively outputting the binary pattern data.