GB2063005A

GB2063005A - A method and apparatus for laying out picture images reproduced from original pictures

Info

Publication number: GB2063005A
Application number: GB8032677A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 1979-10-12
Filing date: 1980-10-09
Publication date: 1981-05-28
Also published as: GB2063005B; FR2467424B1; IL61238A0; DE3038374A1; FR2467424A1; IL61238A; JPS6230427B2; JPS5655948A

Abstract

Where a plurality of originals, mounted on different cylinders (1A, 1B, 1C), are to be reproduced on a single reproducing cylinder (21), with a desired layout, respective different magnifications and trimmings, the video signals from the simultaneously scanned originals are aligned (latches 14A, 14B, 14C) and fed (via memory 15) into a first (disc) memory (36) in accordance with addresses from a first address memory (35). The signals are then transferred into a second (disc) memory (37) in accordance with addresses from a second address memory (33) dependent on the desired layout. The output of the second (disc) memory (37) is then fed to the reproducing cylinder (21). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A method and apparatus for laying out picture images reproduced from original pictures This invention relates to a method for laying out picture images reproduced from original pictures onto a photosensitive material.

In a conventional picture reproducing machine such as a color scanner or a color facsimile, in order to reproduce a plurality of original pictures having different color conditions such as color tone, density, gradation, and so forth, the color conditions and a reproduction scale of each original picture should be varied properly. Hence, such original pictures cannot be reproduced on the same recording film in a single operation and thus are recorded on each recording film one by one depending on the desired reproduction conditions and reproduction scales. That is, only one original picture is mounted to the color scanner and its reproduction conditions and reproduction scale are set up in one operation.

Accordingly, in order to reproduce the picture images of different reproduction conditions and different magnification scales on one photosensitive film according to the desired layout, the color separation picture films obtained by scanning the original pictures one by one, as described above, are layed out and fixed to a transparent film, and then this layout film including the color separation picture films is printed on another photosensitive film, thereby obtaining a color separation picture layout film.

However, in this method the original pictures are reproduced one by one depending on the color conditions and the reproduction scales, and further thus the obtained color separation picture films of one color should belayed out quite accurately on the transparent film in order to obtain the color separation picture layout film of one color. This method requires plenty of time and labor. In the middle of the method another recording film is also required, which is uneconomical.

Recently, a layout scanner which is capable of recording directly the reproduction pictures of different reproduction conditions and different reproduction scales on one recording film in the desired layout positions, has been developed. However, in this embodiment, when each original picture is reproduced by scanning, one original picture is mounted to the picture cylinder and its reproduction conditions and reproduction scale are settled individually.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for laying out picture images reproduced from original pictures onto a photosensitive material free from the aforementioned defects, and which is quick, stable and reliable.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for laying out picture images reproduced from original pictures onto a photosensitive material, comprising the steps of (a) scanning original pictures in parallel by means of picture scanning means to obtain rows of picture signals, (b) aligning the picture signals in series, (c) storing the picture signals aligned into a first memory, (d) transferring the picture signals stored in the first memory into a second memory while addresses of the picture signals are changed depending on the desired layout, and (e) recording picture images in a photosensitive material in the desired layout positions according to the picture signals read out of the second memory by means of a picture recording means.

In a second aspect the invention comprises apparatus for carrying out the method in accordance with the invention.

In order that the present invention may be better understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of a picture reproducing machine which carries out a method according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows original pictures and their trimming parts multiplied by magnifications; Figure 3 shows the trimming parts of the original pictures appeared in a display means; Figure 4 is a perspective view of picture cylinders shown in Figure 1, on which the original pictures are mounted; Figure 5 is a block diagram of a part of a trimming circuit shown in Figure 1; Figure 6 is a block diagram of a part of a date settler of a picture preset means in Figure 1; Figure 7 shows shift pulses which control the data settler shown in Figure 6;; Figure 8 shows an embodiment of one of three timing controller units of a timing controller in Figure 1; Figure 9 is a time chart of pulses appeared in Figure 8; and Figure 10 shows an address memory in Figure 1, in which addressing signals are stored.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown in Figure 1 a picture reproducing machine which carries out a method according to the present invention.

Each input part or a picture scanning means A, B or C comprises a picture cylinder 1A, 1B or 1Con which original pictures are to be mounted, a motor 2A, 2B or 2C for driving the picture cylinder through a drive shaft, a pulse generator 3A, 3B or 3C such as a rotary encoder, mounted to the drive shaft, a screw rod 5A, 5B or 5C driven by a motor 4A, 48 or 4C, a picture scanning head 6A, 6B or 6C, and a pulse generator 7A, 78 or 7C such as a linear encoder. The rotary encoder 3A, 38 or 3C and the linear encoder 7A, 7B or 7C output pulse signals to an input timing circuit 12A, 12B or 1 2C.The input timing circuit 1 2A, 12B or 1 2C sends timing pulses and clock pulses to a trimming circuit 9A, 9B or 9C, a color operational circuit 10A, 10B or 10C, a magnification settler 11A, 11 B or 1 it, and a controller 13A, 13B or 13C.

Before the original pictures are mounted onto the picture cylinders 1A - 1 C, the picture numbers and the sizes of the trimming parts of the original pictures, as shown in Figures 2a - 2f, are input into a picture preset means 30 by a data input means such as a keyboard, and in the same time reproduction conditions and reproduction scales of the original pictures are also input to the picture preset means 30.

Then, the picture preset means 30 outputs signals corresponding to the trimming picture images shown in Figure 2a' - 2f', which are obtained by multiplying the reproduction scales to the trimming parts of the original pictures, together with the picture numbers, and, as shown in Figure 3, the trimming picture images are displayed on a display means such as cathod ray tube (CRT) in the picture preset means 30, with the ratios of the trimming picture image sizes to the entire display area of the display means, which corresponds to the entire storing area of a first disc memory 36.

The trimming picture images are arranged properly in the display means depending on the desired layout by an operational lever such as a joy stick. In this operation, by using a micro-computer the best display of the trimming picture images may be determined. On this occasion, the space for recording register marks for positioning, and for necessary time for varying the reproduction conditions of the pictures should be taken around each trimming picture image.

Then, it is decided which one of the original pictures corresponding to the trimming picture images is to be mounted to the picture cylinder 1A, 1B or 1 C. For example, the original pictures b, f and c corresponding to the trimming picture images b', f' and c' which are positioned nearby one another in the left hand side of the display means, are to be mounted to the separated cylinders 1A, 1B and 1 C, respectively. Then, the original pictures d, e and a corresponding to the trimming picture images d', e' and a' are to be mounted to the cylinders 1A, 18 and 1C as follows.For example, the original picture d corresponding to the trimming picture image d' is to be mounted to one of the cylinders 1A and 1 B on which the original pictures b and f corresponding to the trimming picture images b' and f' whose scannings are finished before starting the scanning of the trimming picture image d' of the original pictured, are to be mounted. If the original picture d is to be mounted to the cylinder 1A, the original picture e and a corresponding to the trimming picture images e' and a' are then to be mounted to the cylinders 18 and 1 C, respectively, in the same manner as described above.

This information described above is input to the picture preset means 30, and then the original pictures a fare mounted to the picture cylinders 1A - 1 C, as shown in Figure 4. Such operations described above are carried out so that the unnecessary part of each original picture may not be picked up and the picture signals picked up may be stored effectively into the first disc memory 36, which has a meaning different from a layout operation hereinafter described.

The reproduction conditions such as color tone, color correction, gradation, highlight and shadow point densities, and so forth, may be obtained by using a color control simulator, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Specification No.55-79448 (Japanese Patent Application No. 53-155954). Such reproduction conditions and the reproduction scales for the original pictures are input in registers of the data settler of the picture preset means 30, as hereinafter described.

Each original picture b, d, fe, c or a mounted to the cylinders 1A,1 18 or 1 C, as shown in Figure 4, includes a trimming part in which two of trimming points P1 (XmlYbO) - P12(xai,Yai) are positioned in the upper left and the lower right corners. These trimming points are detected by a viewer (not shown) attached to the scanning head 6A, 6B or 6C, and their distances from an origin which is marked on each picture cylinder 1A, 1B or 1C, are counted by the pulse generators 3A, 3B or3C and 7A, 7B or7C as the pulse numbers in the directions of the cylinder's axis and the cylinder's periphery.

The coordinates of the trimming points, which are represented by the pulse numbers counted by the pulse generators 3A, 3B or 3C and 7A, 7B or 7C, are settled in the trimming circuit 9A, 9B or 9C, in advance.

The coordinates of the trimming points of the original pictures mounted on the picture cylinders 1A, B and 1 C together with their reproduction scales and picture numbers are input to an operational circuit 34 such as a computer for the first disc memory 36. In the operational circuit 34 the coordinates of the trimming points of the original pictures are transformed into the corresponding addresses of the first disc memory 36, for example, the trimming points P(xb0,Yb0) and P2(xb"Yb) of the original picture b into the addresses (Xho,Ybo) and (Xhl,Yhl) of starting and ending points of the scanning of the reproduction picture b' on a recording film, as shown in Figure 3, and then address signals having the addresses transformed are written in an first address memory 35.

Then, the original pictures a - f mounted on each cylinder 1A, 1B or 1 C, as shown in Figure 4, are scanned photoelectrically by the pickup head 6A, 6B or 6C to obtain analog picture signals. The obtained analog picture signals are sent to an analog-digital converter 8A, 8B or 8C in which the picture signals are converted into digital picture signals which are sent to the trimming circuit 9A, 9B or 9C.

In Figure 5 there is shown a part of the trimming circuit 9A, 9B or 9C. Each original picture requires one trimming circuit. Assuming that the trimming circuit 9A7 for the original picture is partly shown in Figure 5, counters 40 and 47 count numbers of x andy clock pulses sent from the pulse generators 3A and 7A via the input timing circuit 12A. In trimming point preset means 42,44,49 and 51 the coordinates Xbo, Xbr, Ybo and Ybl of the trimming points P1 and P2 of the picture bare settled. Numerals 41,43,48 and 50 denote comparators.

The comparator 41 compares the count number x in the counter 40 with the value xbo set in the preset means 42, and outputs a high level signal H when the count number x is at least the value Xbo- The other comparators 43,48 and 50 output the high level signal H, when the count number x is at most Xbi, when the count number y is at least Ybo, or when the count number y is at most Yob1, in the same manner as the comparator 41.

Numerals 45, 52 and 53 denote AND gates. A switch circuit 46 passes the picture signal only when the AND gate 53 outputs the high level signal H to the switch circuit 46.

Accordingly, as shown in Figure 4, when the original pictures mounted on each picture cylinder 1A, 18 or 1 C are scanned photoelectrically, each trimming circuit 9A, 9B or 9C outputs picture signals corresponding to the trimming parts in order of the scanning lines.

Before the picture signals are input from the trimming circuits 9A, 9B and 9C to the color operational circuits 1 or, 10B and 1 OC, the reproduction conditions of the original pictures, which are stored in shift registers of the data settlers of the picture preset means 30, are settled in the color operational circuits 1 OA, 10B and 10C as follows.

In Figure 6 is shown one embodiment of the data settler of the picture preset means 30 comprising two shift registers 55 and 56, each storing the reproduction conditions and the magnification of the original picture b or d mounted to the cylinder 1A. On this occasion, the reproduction conditions of the original picture b to be firstly scanned are being input from the shift register 56 into the color operational circuit 1 OA.

Then, the reproduction conditions of the original pictured will be transferred from the data settler to the color operational circuit 1 OA, as hereinafter mentioned.

In Figure 7a there are shown gate signals for the original pictures b and d, which are output from the trimming circuit 9A, (the one for the picture b is output from the AND gate 45 in Figure 5). From the gate signal in Figure 7a a shift pulse 57 is prepared, as shown in Figure 7b. Then, the reproduction conditions of the original picture b are adapted to be shifted from the shift register 55 to the one 56 by means of the shift pulse 57.

In addition, the reproduction scale for the original picture mounted to each picture cylinder 1A, 18 or 1 C except the first one b, for c, is settled into the magnification settler 11A, 11B or 11C and the controller 13A, 13B or 1 3C by means of the same shift pulse as that which is used when the reproduction conditions of the original picture are settled in the color operational circuit 10A, 10B or 10C. The color operational circuit 10A, 10B or 10C carries out a color control operation such as a masking, a color correction, a gradation control, and so forth. One embodiment of such a color operational circuit is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 54-49077.

The controller 13A, 13B or 13C controls the motor 4A, 4B or 4C which controls the moving speed of the picture scanning head 6A, 6B or 6C depending on a reproduction scale with reference to a recording head 26 hereinafter mentioned. The magnification settler 1 1A, 1 1 B or 11 C controls the reproduction scale by repeating or skipping picture signals read out of a memory periodically, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Specification No. 54-65601 (Japanese Patent Application No. 52-131366).

Thus, the magnification-controlled picture signals which are sent from the magnification settler 1 1A, 118 and 11 C, are once latched in latch circuits 14A, 14B and 14C, and then are written sequentially in memory units such as one-line buffer memories of the memory 15. The writing timing of the pictures signals are controlled by a timing controller 29 not so as to meet with the reading time.

There are shown in Figures 8 and 9 one of three timing controller units of the timing controller 29 and a time chart of pulses appeared in Figure 8. It will be explained with respect to one of the three picture scanning means A, Band C.

A start pulse signal a, shown in Figure 9(a), generated by the pulse generator 3A is sent to the timing controller 29 via the input timing circuit 12A. A clock pulse signal b, shown in Figure 9(b), which is sent from the input timing circuit 12A, is separated into three pulse signals c, d and e shown in Figure 9(c) (d) (e) by a combination of a base 3 counter 60, inverters 11 - 13, and AND gates Al - A6. The counter 60 is cleared by the pulse signal e which is fed to the counter 60 via an inverter 14, a one-shot multi-vibrator Vi and an OR gate 01.

The pulse signals c, d and e are fed to one terminals of D-type flip-flop circuits 61,62 and 63 (hereinafter referred to as F/F circuit) which output pulse signals g, hand i shown in Figure 9(g) (h) (i). The other terminals of the F/F circuits 61, 62 and 63 are maintained to the high level, and are cleared by output signals of OR gates 02, 03 and 04.

The pulse signals g, h and i are then sent to F/F circuits 64, 65 and 66 which are controlled by a clock pulse signal f shown in Figure 9(f), which is generated by an output timing circuit 28. When the clock pulse signal f is in high level, the F/F circuit 64, 65 or 66 outputs a high level signal to an OR gate 67 which outputs a signal shown in Figure 9(j).

A base 3 counter 68 counts the output signal j sent from the OR gate 67, and output signals k and m shown in Figure 9(k) (m). The output signals k and m are separated into three signals by a decoder 69 which comprises a combination of inverters 15 and 16, and AND gates A7 - A9. The three signals separated in the decoder 69 are fed to AND gates A10 - Al 2 which are controlled by the clock pulse f sent from the output timing circuit 28 to the AND gate A10 - A12 via a delay circuit 70. The AND gates A10 - A12 output pulse signals n, o and p shown in Figure 9(n) (o) (p) to an OR gate 71 which outputs a writing pulse signal q shown in Figure 9(g).

The output signals n, o and p are sent to the OR gates 02, 03 and 04. The output signals of the OR gates 02, 03 and 04 are fed to the OR gate 05. The pause set of the counter 68 is carried out by the output signal p which is supplied from the AND gate A12 to the counter 68 via a one-shot multi-vibrator V2 and an AND gate A13, and the timing of the pause set of the counter 68 is delayed by a delay circuit 72.

By the writing pulse signals obtained as described above, the three sets of picture signals which are once latched in the latch circuits 14A, 14B and 14C, are stored in order of address numbers into the corresponding memory units of the memory 15 in the same time.

Then, the three sets of the picture signals stored in the memory units of the memory 15 are read out simultaneously in order of the address numbers by a reading pulse generated by the output timing circuit 28.

One of the three sets of picture signals read out are selected in a data selector 16 according to a layout position signal sent from the picture preset means 30.

The selected picture signals for the original picture a - fare sent from the data selector 16 to the first disc memory 36 via an interface 17 and are once written in the first disc memory 36 by using the address signals, written in the first address memory 35, having addresses of the first disc memory 36 corresponding to the coordinates of the trimming points of the original pictures.

The address signals to be stored in the first address memory 35 are operated by the operational circuit 34.

For example, when the relation between the coordinates of the surface of each picture cylinder 1A, B or 1 C and the addresses of the first disc memory 36 is settled so as to be a simple proportion, according to the starting and the ending coordinates, for example, P(XbOtYbo) P3(xdo,Ydo), P5(XfotYfo)t----- and P2(Xbl,Ybl), P4(xd1Yd1), P6(xf1,Yf1),.... shown in Figure 4, of the trimming part of each original picture, which are to be sent from the memory 15 to the first disc memory 36, the starting and the ending addresses of the first disc memory 36 per each scanning line of the original pictures mounted to the picture cylinder 1A, B or 1C, are operated by the operational circuit 34.

Thus, the obtained address signals to be stored in the first address memory 35 are shown in Figure 10. In Figure 10 (XOoYOO) and (XOm,Yon) indicate the addresses of the first disc memory 36 corresponding to the trimming points of the original picture b mounted to the picture cylinder 1A shown in Figure 4, and in the first and the last lines, i.e. (Xoo,Yco), (Xo1tYoo) (XomtYoo) and (XooYOn) (X01,Y0n) (X0m,Y0n) show the starting and the ending addresses of the first disc memory 36, which correspond to each scanning line of the reproduction pictures on a recording film mounted to the recording cylinder 21.That is, the address signals only having such starting and ending addresses of the first disc memory 36 are written in the first address memory 35.

Then, the layout of the picture images in the recording film is carried out on a digitizer 31.

When the relation among the coordinates of the digitizer 31, addresses of a second disc memory 37, and the coordinates of the recording film mounted to the recording cylinder 21 is settled so as to be a simple proportion in advance, the coordinates of a block copy for laying out, picked up by the digitizer 31, are readily transformed into the corresponding addresses of the second disc memory 37 by a layout operational circuit 32 in the same manner as the operational circuit 34 for the first disc memory 36.

For example, in order to reproduce the picture images on the recording film according to the different layout from those stored in the first disc memory 36 by changing the layout of the picture areas stored in the first disc memory 36, the new starting and ending addresses of the second disc memory 37, which are operated in the layout operational circuit 32 according to the new layout, are written in a second address memory 33 together with the picture numbers.

Alternatively, while the coordinates of the block copy for laying out are picked up by the digitizer 31, in order to reproduce a part of the trimming area of the picture, or to mask the trimming area by a masking pattern, the coordinates on the scanning lines on the recording film are picked up by tracing the outline of the masking pattern or the part of the trimming area on the block copy by a cursor of the digizizer 31, and then the obtained coordinates aiong the outline are transformed into the corresponding addresses of the second disc memory 37 by the layout operational circuit 32. Then, the addresses corresponding to the outline are written in the second address memory 33 together with the picture number.

Further, when the masking pattern has a particular shape expressed by a mathematical equation such as a circle, assuming that central coordinates and a radius of the circle are (Xj', Yi') and r, respectively, the circle is expressed by the following formula.

(X'-X1')2 + (Y'-Yi)2 = r2 Thus, the coordinates of the outline of this masking pattern are indicated by

wherein XM' means a parameter.

Then, the coordnates of the outline are fed to the layout operational circuit 32, and the starting and the ending addresses of the second disc memory 37 corresponding to the scanning lines on the recording film mounted on the recording cylinder 21 are operated there. The obtained addresses are written in the second address memory 33 together with the picture number in the same manner as above.

When the masking pattern has a complicated shape which can not be expressed by a mathematical equation, as mentioned above, for example, in order to perform a trimming of a person in the original picture, while the picture signals are written from the data selector 16 into the first disc memory 36, the picture signals are fed to the recording head 26 via a switch circuit 19 and a digital-analog converter 20 to record a reproduction picture on the recording film mounted to the recording cylinder 21.

Then, the necessary coordinates are picked up by tracing the outline of the person in the reproduction picture by means of the cursor of the digitizer 31, and according to the picked up coordinates the corresponding addresses of the second disc memory 37 corresponding to the scanning lines on the recording film are operated in the layout operational circuit 32. The addresses obtained are written in the second address memory 33 together with the picture number.

The address signals, written in the second address memory 33 as described above, of the second disc memory 37 are consecutively read out per each original picture together with the address signals, written in the first address memory 35, of the first disc memory 36. The address signals read out are arranged according to the desired layout in the operational circuit 34, that is, the trimming or the masking by using the masking pattern is carried out, as occasion demands, and the starting and the ending addresses of the second disc memory 37 for each reproduction picture are arranged in order of the scanning lines on the recording film.

In the same time, the starting and the ending addresses for the first disc memory 36, which correspond to those for the second disc memory 37, are operated in the operational circuit 34. Then the intermediate addresses between the starting and the ending addresses read out of the first and the second address memories 35 and 33 for the first and the second disc memories 36 and 37 are operated in order of the address numbers for scanning the reproduction pictures according to the desired layout thereof, and thus the picture signals are transformed from the first disc memory 36 to the second disc memory 37 by addressing the two memories 36 and 37 by means of the first and the second address signals, thereby being stored into the second disc memory 37 according to the desired layout of the reproduction pictures to be recorded on the recording film.

Then, the picture signals stored in the second disc memory 37 are simply read out in order of the address numbers, and are once written in a one-line buffer memory 18. The picture signals stored in the memory 18 are then read out by reading signals generated by an output timing circuit 28 which is syschronous with the rotation of the recording cylinder 21.

The picture signals read out of the memory 18 are input to the recording head 26 via the switch circuit 19 and the digital-analog converter 20 wherein they are converted into the analog picture signals. By these analog picture signals the recording head 26 is controlled so that the reproduction pictures may be reproduced onto a recording film mounted on a recording cylinder 21 according to the desired layout.

The recording cylinder 21 is driven by a motor 22 around a drive shaft. A pulse generator 23 such as a rotary encoder is attached to the drive shaft and outputs pulse signals to the output timing circuit 19. The recording head 26 is moved in a recording cylinder's axis by a screw rod 25 and a motor 24 which drives the screw rod 25. The position of the recording head 26 is detected by a pulse generator 27 such as a linear encoder which sends position signals to the output timing circuit 19.

Although the present invention has been shown and described in terms of a preferred embodiment, however, various changes and modifications can be made by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, the picture scanning means may not be restricted to three, and a plurality picture scanning means may be applied to the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for laying out picture images reproduced from original pictures onto a photosensitive material, comprising the steps of: (a) scanning original pictures in parallel by means of picture scanning means to obtain rows of picture signals; (b) aligning the picture signals in series; (c) storing the picture signals aligned into a first memory; (d) transferring the picture signals stored in the first memory into a second memory while addresses of the picture signals are changed depending on the desired layout; and (e) recording picture images on a photosensitive material in the desired layout positions according to the picture signals read out of the second memory by means of a picture recording means.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein a reproduction scale of each original picture is changed.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 or 2 wherein reproduction conditions of each original picture are varied.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein a trimming of each original picture is carried out.

5. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein a trimming of each original picture is carried out.

6. Apparatus for carrying out the method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A method for laying out picture images reproduced from original pictures onto a photosensitive material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. Apparatus for laying out picture images reproduced from an original picture onto a photosensitive material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.