JP2002158858A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processor in which print image data can be synthesized into an image signal by utilizing the memory capacity effectively without requiring an additional hardware. SOLUTION: Data read in by the input means of an image processor is subjected by an SBU 12 to shading correction for R, G and B, out-of- synchronism correction of the line and a processing for separating into a specified color (red) and black and black/specified color (red) separation data is delivered to an MEM 17. The MEM 17 performs a magnification varying processing in the sub-scanning direction on the image data of specified color (red) and black which is then transferred to an iPP 14 and subjected to magnification varying processing in the main scanning direction and a specified image processing. Subsequently, it is stored again in the MEM 17 through a CDIC 13. In the MEM 17, print image data is synthesized and the timing is regulated such that the image data for red is outputted to a VDC 19 at a timing slightly delayed behind the timing of the image data for black.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for converting a read original image into a digital image signal and subjecting the digital image signal to predetermined image processing to form an image on transfer paper. The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus such as a copier, a printer, and a facsimile machine that can be used.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image processing apparatus for forming a digital image signal on a transfer sheet or reading an image from a scanner to form an image on a transfer sheet, a specific pattern such as a date and an imprint for approval is read. 2. Description of the Related Art An image processing apparatus capable of synthesizing an image with a digital image signal of an original has been proposed. As an image processing apparatus of this type, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-245774 discloses that a specific pattern such as a date and an imprint for approval can be combined with an original image and recorded on recording paper. In the case of superimposing and combining images such as characters, a technique is disclosed in which two images are stored by exclusive ORing the two images.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-298033 discloses that an exclusive OR output and an OR output of an original image signal and a synthesizing image signal can be selected to superimpose the synthesizing image on the original image. An image synthesizing apparatus that can synthesize images according to the purpose of use and that can synthesize an image for synthesis irrespective of the document density is described. Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-179965 discloses that two image data stored in an image memory in a bitmap format are stored.
The value image data is read out from the printing start position in byte units, converted into serial data, stored in line units by a line memory for two lines, and output, so that the binary image data stored in the memory in a bitmap format Describes an image printing apparatus capable of combining a document with a document image. Furthermore, JP-A-9-307742 discloses that
The memory capacity required for image synthesis in the image forming apparatus is reduced by using a small-capacity memory called a line memory and outputting image data for one line of the image for synthesis without interruption between lines. In addition, an image output device for synthesis and an image forming device with a reduced circuit scale are described.

[0004]

However, in the conventional image processing apparatus, when the synthesizing means for synthesizing print image data is optimal in the image processing procedure of the image processing apparatus when the synthesizing means is optimal as the image processing apparatus. It was not expected. Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of synthesizing print image data with an image signal in a processing procedure that can effectively use the memory capacity. A second object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of synthesizing print image data without adding print synthesizing hardware. A third object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of synthesizing print image data outside the range of image data stored in the local memory without increasing the use area of the local memory. .

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a conversion means for converting received image data into a digital image signal, and a compression / expansion process for the digital image signal converted by the conversion means. Image processing means for applying, storage means for storing print image information such as user-specific identification information, date, page information, and the like, and compression / decompression processing of the print image information stored in the storage means by the image processing means A print image information synthesizing means for synthesizing a digital image signal subjected to image processing such as main / sub-scanning magnification processing, and a digital image signal in which print image information is synthesized by the print image information synthesizing means. Image forming means for printing out, wherein the print image information synthesizing means performs image processing on the digital image signal by the image processing means. That case, by combining the print image information, to achieve the first object.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the second object is achieved by the image processing means including the print image information synthesizing means. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the third object is achieved by providing the image forming means with the print image information synthesizing means.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. The image processing apparatus shown in FIG.
As an example, two colors (red /
The following description is based on the assumption that the composite copying machine is black). The reading unit 11 that optically reads a document condenses the reflected light of the document by irradiating the lamp with a mirror and a lens on a light receiving element. A light receiving element that collects the reflected light (hereinafter, a description will be given using a CCD (photoelectric conversion element) as an example of the light receiving element in the present embodiment) transmits image information of a document to an R
This is a three-line CCD image sensor that can be converted into an electric signal corresponding to each color through a (red) G (green) B (blue) filter and read, and is mounted on an SBU (sensor board unit) 12. . The output of these three-line CCD image sensors is A / D (analog /
The image data is converted into digital image data by a (digital) converter and output from the SBU 12 together with a synchronization signal.

The image signal output from the SBU 12 is a CDI which is a means for collectively managing the interface between the digital signal and the bus and sharing the processing of the digital signal.
Input to C13. The CDIC 13 controls transmission of image data between all functional devices and the data bus. For example, data transfer between the SBU 12 relating to image data by the CDIC 13, the parallel bus 1, and the IPP 14 which is a programmable arithmetic processing means for performing image processing on a digitally converted image signal, the entire image processing apparatus of the present embodiment And a communication between the process controller 16 for image data. The A / D-converted R, G, and B digital image data is corrected in the SBU 12 for non-uniformity of data associated with the optical system (for example, signal deterioration of a scanner system).

The function of the multifunction copier is realized by the image data under the bus control of the parallel bus 1 and the CDIC 13. The FAX transmission function performs image processing of the read image data by the IPP 14 and transfers the image data to the FCU (FAX control unit) 2 via the CDIC 13 and the parallel bus 1. The FCU 2 performs data conversion to a communication network, and transmits the data to a PN (public line) 3 as FAX data. The FAX reception function uses line data from PN3 as F
The data is converted into image data by the CU 2 and transferred to the IPP 14 via the parallel bus 1 and the CDIC 13. In this case, the VDC 19 performs dot rearrangement and pulse control, and the image forming unit 4 forms a reproduced image on transfer paper.

When a plurality of jobs, for example, a copy function, a facsimile transmission / reception function, and a printer output function operate in parallel, the reading unit 11, the image forming unit 4, the parallel bus 1
Switching the job to the system controller 1
5 and the process controller 16. The process controller 16 controls the flow of image data, and the system controller 15 controls the entire system and manages activation of each resource. The selection of each function of the multifunction copying machine can be performed in the Op. Processing contents such as a copy function and a facsimile function are set by a selection input from a panel (hereinafter, referred to as an operation unit) 5. Also, the system controller 15
And the process controller 16 includes the parallel bus 1,
They communicate with each other via the CDIC 13 and the serial bus. In the CDIC 13, a data format conversion for a data interface between the parallel bus 1 and the serial bus is performed.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining signal degradation in the optical system. FIG. 2A is a diagram schematically illustrating shading correction, and FIG. 2B is a diagram schematically illustrating shading data. Shading correction is
This is for correcting non-uniformity of the reflected light characteristic based on the illuminance distribution of the illumination system. First, at the time of reading a document, a reference white plate having a uniform density is read, reference data for shading correction is generated, and the reflection distribution depending on the reading position of the read image is normalized based on the shading data. As shown in FIG. 2B, the reflection distribution of the shading data differs depending on the document reading position n. At the end of the document reading position, a white board of uniform density is read dark. Sn in the figure is a white board read signal level at the reading position n, and the larger the Sn, the brighter the read was.

The shading correction corrects unevenness in the light amount distribution of the lamp, that is, the illumination system, by performing the same processing on each read image data with respect to position-dependent data. The S data of FIG.
(B) is shading data generated by white board reading, D data is read image data of each reading line, and n of each data indicates a reading position. The C data in FIG. 2A is data after shading correction of the D data, and the expression Cn = A *
(A in the expression is a normalization coefficient). R (red), G with non-uniformity corrected
(Green) and B (blue) digital image data are SBU1
2. In any one of the CDIC 13 and the MEM (memory module) 17, which is a means for collectively managing the access of the digital signal to the memory, the synchronization deviation of the image data of each color is corrected.

In this embodiment, since scanning is performed by a 3-line CCD image sensor, a 12-line synchronous shift occurs between colors. For the R, G, and B digital image data, the SBU 12 or the CDIC 13 generates a multi-valued luminance signal for the target pixel and a color determination signal indicating whether the target pixel is red. After being separated into red and black digital image signals by the IPP 14 and subjected to predetermined image processing, the MEMs are transmitted through the CDIC 13 to the MEM.
17 is stored. Here, a color determination method will be described. In the color determination method, a color image is separated into three colors of red, green, and blue, and when the designated color is red (that is, red / black mode), determination is made for each pixel by the amount of red and green light. I do. For the red / black mode, the range for identifying colors can be adjusted by a correction value or a threshold value. FIG. 3 shows an example of a color separation area in the red / black mode.

A procedure for determining a color viewed as red from a color image in the red / black mode will be described. First, in order to determine a red detection range, two correction values for red (correction value 1 and correction value 2) and a threshold value for green are set. The blue and red light quantity signals are extracted from the red, blue and green light quantity signals of the separated color image. These light amount signals are converted into the following three equations G> KG (1), R> G + KR1.
(2) R> G + KR2 (3) Calculation is performed based on (3), and judgment is made based on the obtained result. FIG. 4 shows the equation (1),
It is the figure which showed the determination procedure whether the target pixel was red based on (2) and (3). According to FIG. 4, it is possible to obtain an identification result as to whether or not the target pixel is true. In FIGS. 3 and 4, each symbol is R: red light quantity signal, G: green light quantity signal, KG: green threshold value, KR
1: Red correction value 1, KR2: Red correction value 2.

Next, a description will be given of the flow of image data in a case where additional image processing such as rotation in the image direction and synthesis of images is performed when image data already stored in the memory is read. The data transferred from the IPP 14 to the CDIC 13 is sent from the CDIC 13 to the IMAC 18 (image memory access control) via the parallel bus 1. In this IMAC 18, the system controller 15
Based on the control, access control of the image data and the MEM 17 is performed, expansion of print data of an external PC (personal computer), and compression / expansion of image data for effective use of memory are performed. The data sent to IMAC 18 is
After the data is compressed, the data is stored in the MEM 17, and the stored data is read out as needed. The read data is expanded and returned to the image data before compression, and is returned from the IMAC 18 to the CDIC 13 via the parallel bus 1. After data transfer from the CDIC 13 to the IPP 14, image quality processing and pulse control by the VDC 19 are performed, and a reproduced image is formed on transfer paper in the image forming unit 4.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a VDC as an image forming unit and an image forming unit of the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. In the image forming unit 4, around the photoconductor 23, a charged charge 28 serving as a charging unit, a black writing unit 90 serving as a first exposure device serving as a deflection scanning type exposure unit, and a second unit using a black toner. Developing device 20 as developing means 1
And a red writing unit 91 serving as a second exposure device serving as a line type exposure unit, a developing device 22 serving as a second developing unit using red toner, a transfer charger 33, and a cleaning device 24 are sequentially arranged. Have been. The black writing section 90 and the red writing section 91 are arranged so as to form latent images at different positions on the outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor 23, and the black / red image data is obtained by changing the red image data to the black image data. The timing is adjusted so that the image data is output from the second exposure device 91 at a timing slightly delayed from the image data.

After the uniform charging by the charging unit 28, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor 23 by the black writing unit 90 is visualized by the first developing device 20 with black toner. Further, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor 23 by the red writing unit 91 is visualized with the red toner by the second developing device 22. Then, the transfer paper fed from the paper feed tray 25 by the paper feed roller 26 is temporarily stopped by the registration rollers 38. The stopped transfer paper is conveyed by a registration roller 38 to a transfer section including a transfer charger 33 at a timing such that the transfer paper coincides with the front end of the toner image on the photoconductor 23. In the transfer section, after being conveyed to the fixing device 30 side by the conveyance belt 29 and subjected to a fixing process,
The sheet is discharged or fed again as appropriate. In this way,
An image of two colors of black / red is formed.

Next, the print image data will be described.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the operation unit when the type of printing is selected. When the user selects printing on the operation unit 5,
As shown in FIG. 6, a print type selection screen 400 for selecting a security management numbering 41, a stamp print 42, a user stamp print 43, a date print 44, and a page print 45 is displayed. The security management numbering 41 on the print type selection screen 400 is a function of adding a number representing the number of copies as 1, 2,... The copy-forgery-inhibited pattern is also copied,
You can see where the distribution was made from. Stamp printing 42 is confidential, copying is strictly prohibited, etc.
This function adds print data registered in advance. The user stamp print 43 is a function for adding information such as a company name and a user name as user information to be registered for each digital copying machine user. It is data. The date print 44 is a function of adding the date when the copy was made. The page printing 45 is a function of adding the number of pages of a read document to each page.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an image processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. Here, configurations of the SBU 12, the CDIC 13, and the IPP 14, which are different from the first embodiment, will be described. The data read by the input means of the image processing apparatus is converted into two colors of R, G, and B by the SBU 12, shading correction, R, G, and B line synchronization deviation, and a designated color (red) and black. Separation processing for separation is performed. After the separation processing, the black / specified color (red) separation data is sent to the MEM 17 via the CDIC 13. MEM
At 17, a scaling process in the sub-scanning direction is performed on the specified color (red) and black image data. By performing the scaling process in the sub-scanning direction, it is possible to simplify the correction of the line synchronization deviation of the image signal decomposed into R, G, and B.

Designated color (red) subjected to scaling processing in the sub-scanning direction
And the black image data are transmitted to the IPP 14 via the CDIC 13.
The image is then subjected to a scaling process in the main scanning direction and a predetermined image process. Then, it is stored again in the MEM 17 via the CDIC 13. The print image data is synthesized in the MEM 17, and the timing is adjusted so that the red image data is output to the VDC 19 at a timing slightly later than the black image data. Combining print image data after main / sub-magnification and image processing means that printing can be performed at the position, size, and density desired by the user, and print synthesis can be performed without adding special hardware. can do.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an image processing apparatus according to the third embodiment. The data read by the input means of the image processing apparatus is R (red), G (green),
Shading correction for B (blue), R (red), G
Correction of the synchronization deviation of the (green) and B (blue) lines and separation processing for separating the two colors of the designated color (red) and black are performed. After the separation processing, the black / designated color (red) separation data
It is sent to the MEM 17 via the DIC 13. MEM17
Then, the variable magnification processing in the sub-scanning direction is performed on the image data of the designated color (red) and black. By performing the scaling process in the sub-scanning direction, it is possible to simplify the correction of the line synchronization deviation of the image signal decomposed into R (red), G (green), and B (blue).

Designated color (red) subjected to scaling processing in the sub-scanning direction
And the black image data are transmitted to the IPP 14 via the CDIC 13.
Is transferred to the IPP 14 to perform predetermined image processing.
The data is transferred to the VDC 19 via the DIC 13. The timing of the red image data is adjusted so that it is output from the VDC 19 to the image forming unit at a timing slightly later than the black image data. The synthesis of the print image data is performed at the time of transfer to the VDC 19 or at the time of transfer from the VDC 19 to the image forming unit. In the present embodiment, the synthesis of the print image data after the main / sub-magnification and image processing is performed in accordance with the position, size,
It is possible with concentration.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of print synthesis. FIG. 9 shows a case where the stamp printing of “copy prohibited” and the user stamp of “XX Corporation” are printed on the paper area outside the document area. As described above, according to the image processing apparatus of the present embodiment, even if a sheet larger than the image size stored in the MEM 17 is selected by the user as shown in FIG. Can be synthesized. In addition, the MEM 17 does not need to store the image data in a paper size.
Area can be used effectively.

[0024]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the print image information synthesizing unit synthesizes the print image information when the digital image signal is compressed / expanded by the image processing unit, so that the memory is also effectively used. And cost reduction can be achieved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the image processing means includes the print image information synthesizing means, it is possible to synthesize the print image data after main / sub-magnification and image processing without adding hardware. Is possible, the position intended by the user,
Printing composition with the size and density becomes possible.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the image forming means includes the print image information synthesizing means, even when a sheet larger than the image size stored in the MEM is selected, the print image can be placed at any position on the sheet. Data can be synthesized, and the MEM area can be effectively used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image processing apparatus according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating signal degradation in an optical system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a color separation area in red / black mode.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a procedure for determining whether or not a target pixel is red based on equations (1), (2), and (3).

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a VDC as an image forming unit and an image forming unit of the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation unit when a print type is selected.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an image processing apparatus according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an image processing apparatus according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of print synthesis.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 reading unit 12 SBU (sensor board unit) 13 CDIC 14 IPP 15 system controller 16 process controller 19 VDC 20, 22 developing device 23 photoconductor 24 cleaning device 25 paper feed tray 26 paper feed roller 29 transport belt 30 fixing device

Continued on the front page F-term (reference) 2C087 AA03 AA09 AA13 AA15 AA18 BA03 BA07 BB10 BC05 BD06 BD07 BD40 2C187 AD03 2H027 DB01 EE10 EJ04 FA35 FA37 FD01 FD03 FD08 FD10 ZA07 ZA09 5C062 AA02 AF03 AF04 AA21 AA22 BA02 BA03 BA06 BA09 CB01

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A conversion means for converting received image data into a digital image signal, and a predetermined image processing such as compression / expansion processing or main / sub scanning magnification processing on the digital image signal converted by the conversion means. Image processing means for performing the following operations; storage means for storing print image information such as user-specific identification information, date, and page information; and compression / expansion of the print image information stored in the storage means by the image processing means. A print image information synthesizing unit for synthesizing the processed digital image signal, and an image forming unit for forming an image of the digital image signal synthesized with the print image information by the print image information synthesizing unit and printing and outputting the digital image signal, When image processing is performed on a digital image signal by image processing means, the print image information synthesizing means synthesizes print image information. The image processing apparatus according to claim. 2. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image processing means includes said print image information synthesizing means. 3. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image forming means includes said print image information synthesizing means.