JP2001189872A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processor that can conduct color correction processing without the need for an operator to select a color attached to a recording paper on each occasion in the case that color correction processing is applied to a received image signal in response to a color attached to the recording paper when an image is printed on the recording paper to which the color is attached. SOLUTION: The image processing unit is provided with a registration means that registers color information, an entry means that enters color information of recording paper, a color information selection means that selects color information matching with or approximated to the color information entered by the entry means among all color information sets registered by the registration means, and a color correction means that corrects the color of the entered image data in response to the selected color information.

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 performing image processing according to the color of a recording sheet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the spread of personal computers, an image processing apparatus of an ink jet recording system, particularly a color ink jet recording apparatus, has been widely used as one of apparatuses for recording image information processed by a computer. This color ink jet recording apparatus is an apparatus for recording a color image by ejecting small droplets of inks of different colors from a plurality of heads onto recording paper and superimposing ink droplets on the recording paper.

Generally, in a color ink jet recording apparatus, an image signal input from a host computer such as a personal computer is decomposed into each color to create recording data. In this color ink jet printing apparatus, this print data is often created by signal processing on the assumption that the print data is reproduced on a reference white printing paper.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-3088
According to Japanese Patent No. 78, an operator selects whether or not to perform color correction on an input image signal on an operation panel of a host computer or an image processing apparatus.
An image processing apparatus that performs a color correction process on an input image signal when the user selects to perform color correction is described. When the operator selects one of the types of recording paper, such as plain paper and special paper, on the operation panel according to the recording paper to be printed, the image processing apparatus displays the selected recording paper. This is a device that performs color correction processing on an input image signal according to the type.

Further, in the image processing apparatus, a color correction parameter defined by an operator so as to perform a predetermined color correction process on an input image signal, and a color correction process is performed by the defined color correction parameter. The image signal can be registered in advance in correspondence with the color of the recording paper to be printed on the visible image. In this image processing apparatus, when printing on a recording paper having a registered color, the operation panel is used to print a recording paper, a plain paper, a special paper, etc., having a color registered by an operator. When the operator selects a recording sheet having a registered color, a color correction process can be performed on an input image signal based on a color correction parameter corresponding to the color.

In the above-described conventional image processing apparatus, when printing on recording paper having a color registered in advance, color correction parameters corresponding to the registered color are used to perform color correction. When processing is to be performed, the operator must perform an operation of selecting a color every time printing is performed on recording paper, and thus there is a problem that the operation of selecting the color is complicated.

In this image processing apparatus, 1
When printing on a plurality of recording papers at a time, if an appropriate color correction process is to be performed according to the recording papers with the colors registered in advance, the If the colors are the same, the operator need only perform the operation of selecting the color once. On the other hand, if the colors applied to a plurality of recording papers to be printed are not the same, the operator must perform an operation of selecting a color each time the color applied to the recording papers changes. Operation is complicated.

According to the present invention, when a color correction process is performed on an input image signal in accordance with a color applied to a recording sheet when printing on the recording sheet having the color, It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus capable of performing a color correction process without requiring an operator to perform a selected color operation each time.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided a registration unit for registering color information, an input unit for inputting color information of a recording sheet, and a registering unit for registering the color information. A color information selection unit that selects color information that matches or approximates the color information input by the input unit; and a color correction unit that performs color correction on input image data according to the selected color information. An image processing device.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a host computer 11 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The host computer 11 has an output device 17
And the input device 19.

The host computer 11 has a storage unit 12
A correction unit 13, a color information management table 14 in which color data is registered, a color comparison unit 15, and color data for registering color data obtained from the input device 19 and the like in the color information management table 14. And a registration unit 16.

The correction unit 13 performs a color correction process on the image data input from the input device 19 according to the color data selected by the color comparison unit 15.

The sensor 18 detects the color of the recording paper when the output device 17 prints on the recording paper.

The color comparing section 15 compares the color data output from the sensor 18 with the color data registered in the color information management table 14, and selects the sensor 18 from the registered color data. Is to select color data that matches the output color data. On the other hand, the color comparison unit 15
If no matching color data exists, the sensor 18
Is sent to the color data registration unit 16 for the color data attached to the recording paper output by the printer.

The output device 17 has a sensor 18. The output device 17 prints a visible image based on the image data output by the color correction unit 13 on recording paper.
The sensor 18 does not need to have a high performance of reading the color gradation.
What is necessary is just to have a performance of about 4 bits or 8 bits.

The input device 19 acquires an image for creating image data from a scanner, a digital camera, or the like. Further, the input device 19 has higher performance than the sensor 18 in reading the color gradation.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the data contents of the color information management table 14 in the host computer 11 according to the above embodiment.

The data registered in the color information management table 14 include an index 21 as a registration number, a character string 22 indicating the type of color, and an R of the registered color data.
There is an RGB value 23 indicating the GB value. The number of color data that can be registered in the color information management table 14 depends on the actual device. When registering the color data input from the input device 19 or the like in the color information management table 14, for example, the type of the color defined by the operator, such as light blue or brown envelope,
A character string 2 is input by inputting from an operation unit (not shown).
2 can be registered. Note that conversion data for performing color correction processing on the image data output from the input device 19 is registered in the color information management table 14 corresponding to each color data.

When the output device 17 notifies the operator of the absence of paper when the recording paper runs out during printing, the driver provided in the host computer 11 refers to the character string 22. Then, the type of recording paper that has been printed can be notified. In addition,
When the output device 17 prints a visible image based on the image data output by the host computer 11 according to the above embodiment, the operator does not need to know which type of recording paper to use.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of registering color data in the color information management table 14 by the color data registration unit 16 in the host computer 11 according to the above embodiment.

First, the operation of registering the color data in the color information management table 14 by the color data registration section 16 is started (S31). This operation is started by the host computer 1
1 or may be performed when the input device 19 reads the color applied to the recording paper.

Next, color data is input from the input device 19 or the like to the color data registration unit 16 (S32). When inputting the color data to the color data registration unit 16, the input device 19 may read the color attached to the recording paper and input the color data, or may input the color data. The color data may be input to the host computer 11 in advance, stored in a file format, and the color data may be input to the color data registration unit 16 from this file. Further, the color of the recording paper may be read by the sensor 18, and the color data may be input to the color data registration unit 16 via the color comparison unit 15.

Next, it is determined whether the color data input to the color data registration unit 16 is registered in the color information management table 14 (S33), and the input color data is stored in the color information management table 14 (S33). If it is registered in the color information management table 14, the operation of registering the color data in the color information management table 14 is terminated without newly registering the input color data (S35).

The input data is the color information management table 1
4 (S33), the input data is newly registered in the color information management table 14 (S3).
4) The operation of registering the color data in the color information management table 14 ends (S35).

When the output device 17 prints the image data output from the color correction section 13 on a recording sheet, the sensor 18 reads the color attached to the recording sheet. When color data that is not registered in the color information management table 14 is input from the sensor 18 to the color comparison unit 15, the color data is input from the color comparison unit 15 to the color data registration unit 16 (S32). Next, the color data registration unit 16 newly registers this color data in the color information management table 14 (S33, S34).

However, in order to select as much as possible from among the color data registered in advance in the color information management table 14 by the operator, the data input from the sensor 18 must be newly stored in the color information management table 14. It may not be registered. In order to prevent data input from the sensor 18 from being newly registered in the color information management table 14 as much as possible, the color information management table 1
The RGB values 23 in 4 are classified into levels and registered. In addition, level division is performed at substantially the same level as the read gradation of the color of the sensor 18.

For example, when the read gradation of the sensor 18 is 4 bits and the read gradation of the input device 19 is 16 bits, light blue data and pink data are registered in the color information management table 14. It is assumed that it is. When the blue data is input from the sensor 18 to the color comparing unit 15, the input blue is a color similar to light blue, so the color comparing unit 15 recognizes the input blue as light blue and outputs the color information. No new blue data is registered in the management table 14. On the other hand, when green data is input from the sensor 18, since a color similar to the color information management table 14 is not registered, green data is newly registered in the color information management table 14.

As described above, in order to select as much as possible from among the color data registered in the color information management table 14, the operator stores the main color data in the color information management table 14 in advance. Register.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the color comparison section 15 in the host computer 11 according to the above embodiment.

First, the printing process is started in the output device 17 (S41), and when the recording paper is fed to the output device 17, the sensor 18 detects the color of the recording paper (S41).
42), and input the data of the detected color to the color comparing section 15 (S43).

Next, from the color data registered in the color information management table 14, data of a color that matches the data of the color input from the sensor 18 is searched for (S
44). It is determined whether color data matching the color data input from the sensor 18 exists in the color information management table 14 (S45). If there is matching color data, a color correction process is performed. The data of the matched color is registered in the color comparison unit 15 as the data for use (S46). After that, the selection operation in the color comparison section 15 ends.

If there is no color data matching the color data input from the sensor 18 in the color information management table 14 (S45), the color data input from the sensor 18 is stored in the color data registration unit 16. It is transmitted and newly registered in the color information management table 14 (S47). Thereafter, the data of the color newly registered in the color information management table 14 is registered in the color comparing unit 15 as data for performing the color correction processing (S4).
8), the selection operation in the color comparison section 15 ends.

After the above operation is completed, the color data registered in the color comparing section 15 is sent to the color correcting section 13, and the color correcting section 13 performs a color correcting process corresponding to the color data on the input image data. Do it.

In the above embodiment, in step S45, it is determined whether or not the color data input from the sensor 18 matches the color data registered in the color information management table 14. In step S45, it is determined whether or not the color data input from the sensor 18 and the color data registered in the color information management table 14 are approximated instead of determining whether or not they match. It may be.

According to the above-described embodiment, when printing on recording paper having a pre-registered color, color correction processing is performed on an input image signal in accordance with the registered color. The color correction process can be performed without the operator having to perform the operation of selecting a color registered in advance each time, and the color-corrected image signal can be output to the output device 17.

Further, according to the above embodiment, even when the color data that does not match the color data registered in the color information management table 14 is input to the color comparing unit 15, By newly registering in the color information management table 14, color correction can be performed using the newly registered data, and the color-corrected image signal can be output to the output device 17.

Further, according to the above embodiment, since the storage unit 12 in the host computer 11 has the color information management table 14, data management of registered colors is easy, and data inquiry is easy. .

Although the above embodiment is a host computer, the above embodiment may be applied to an image processing apparatus such as a printer.

The color information management table 14 and the color data registration section 16 are examples of registration means for registering color information, and the color comparison section 15 is an example of input means for inputting color information of recording paper. The color comparison unit 15 is an example of a color information selection unit that selects color information that matches or approximates the color information input by the input unit from all the color information registered by the registration unit, The color correction unit 13 is an example of a color correction unit that performs color correction on input image data according to the selected color information.

The color data registration unit 16 is an example of a means for registering color information in a color information management table in the host computer. The color information management table 14, the color comparison unit 15, and the color data registration unit 16 This is an example of means for newly registering unregistered color information when the input means inputs color information not registered in the registration means. The color correction unit 13 is provided with an input image corrected by the color correction means. 5 is an example of an output unit that outputs data to a predetermined recording device.

[0043]

According to the present invention, when an image processing apparatus performs color correction processing on an input image signal in accordance with a color attached to a recording sheet when printing on the recording sheet, There is an effect that the color correction process can be performed without the operator having to perform the operation of selecting the color given in the above.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a host computer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of FIG.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing data contents of a color information management table 14 in the host computer 11 according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of registering color data in a color information management table 14 by a color data registration unit 16 in the host computer 11 according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a color comparing unit 15 in the host computer 11 according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 host computer 12 storage unit 13 color correction unit 14 color information management table 15 color comparison unit 16 color data registration unit 17 output device 18 ... Sensor, 19 ... Input device, 21 ... Index, 22 ... Character string, 23 ... RBG value.

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Claims (5)

[Claims] A registration unit for registering color information; an input unit for inputting color information of recording paper; and an input unit for inputting the color information from the color information registered by the registration unit. Image processing comprising: color information selection means for selecting color information that matches or approximates the selected color information; and color correction means for performing color correction on input image data in accordance with the selected color information. apparatus. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit is a unit that registers the color information in a color information management table in a host computer. 3. The registration device according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit newly registers the unregistered color information when the input unit inputs color information that is not registered in the registration unit. An image processing apparatus characterized by being means. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an output unit that outputs the input image data corrected by the color correction unit to a predetermined recording device. . 5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is a host computer.