JP2002185773A - Image processing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processing unit that creates a template image preferred by a user and can output the template image while being composited with read image data from an original. SOLUTION: The image processing unit is provided with an image read means 9 that reads a preset original to generate image data, an image composition means 11 that stores image data on an optional page among the image data generated by the image read means 9 are the template image and composites the template image with image data of other page, and an image output means 10 that outputs the image data composited by the image composition means 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in an image processing apparatus capable of combining a template image with image data of a read original.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, image data of a read original has been
An image processing device capable of synthesizing and outputting a template image is used. In such an image processing apparatus, the template image is stored in the memory at the manufacturing stage in advance, and when the original is read, if the template image to be combined is specified in advance, the image data of the read original is specified. The synthesized template images are combined and output.

[0003]

However, in the above-described conventional image processing apparatus, the template image is stored in the memory at the manufacturing stage in advance, and can be updated to a template image desired by the user, or a new template image can be updated. Since it cannot be stored, the customizability of the template image is extremely low and inconvenient.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances. It is intended to provide a device.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, an image processing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises an image reading means for reading a document set in advance and generating image data; Image synthesizing means for storing an arbitrary one of the image data generated by the reading means as a template image and synthesizing it with image data of another page, and image output means for outputting image data synthesized by the image synthesizing means And

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image processing apparatus, the image synthesizing unit stores the image data of the first page generated by the image reading unit as a template image.

[0007] The image processing apparatus according to the third aspect employs a printer as the image output means.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a main configuration of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention. Although the configuration of the facsimile apparatus F is shown here as an image processing apparatus, it may be a personal computer having an image processing function and connecting a scanner and a printer, or a scanner and a monitor.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a main control unit which controls the following units, and 2 denotes an NC which controls connection to a telephone line L.
U, 3 is a modem that modulates and demodulates signals for facsimile communication, 4 is an image memory that temporarily stores image data, 5 is a RAM that stores various data, 6 is a ROM that stores control programs and the like in advance, and 7 is a ROM. LCD screen and LED
A display unit 8 including various operation keys; a reading unit 9 for reading a set document and generating image data; and a reading unit 10 for printing image data on a pre-set recording paper. A printer 11 for recording is an image synthesizing unit for synthesizing image data described later. here,
In the facsimile F, the image reading unit is configured by the reading unit 9, the image combining unit is configured by the image combining unit 11, and the image output unit is configured by the printer 10.

Although the image output means is constituted by the printer 10 here, the present invention is not limited to this example.
Anything can be used as long as it can output synthesized image data described later. For example, a LAN interface may be used. If this LAN interface is used, the synthesized image data is output to the LAN through this interface. The composite image data can be handled by any communication terminal connected to the LAN. Further, the image output means may be constituted by the modem 3 and the NCU 2. If the modem 3 is used, the synthesized image data is transmitted by facsimile to a facsimile apparatus of the other party through the modem 3 and the NCU 2.

Next, the characteristic operation of the facsimile machine F will be described below. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the template copy operation of the facsimile machine F. Here, the operation when the first image data is used as the template image is shown.

When performing a template copy, the facsimile apparatus F reads a document set by the reading unit 9 (100) and stores image data of the read document in the image memory 4 (101).

Then, the user specifies a document page to be used as a template image, and when the first page is specified (102), the image data of the first page is stored in the image synthesizing section 11 (103). As a result, the image data of the first page is set as the template image. Next, the processing of steps 104 to 106 is repeated for the image data of the second and subsequent pages to generate composite image data.

That is, the image data of the next page is read from the image memory 4 (104), and the image data is read out.
The image combining unit 11 combines the template image with the template image and stores it in the image memory 4 (105). If there is unprocessed image data in the image memory 4 (106), the process proceeds to step 104.

When there is no more unprocessed image data in the image memory 4, the combined image data generated by the above-described processing is read out from the image memory 4 and recorded by the printer 10 (107).

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the template transmission operation of the facsimile machine F. Here, like the above-described template copy operation, an operation when the first image data is used as a template image is shown.

In the facsimile apparatus F, when transmitting a template, a user inputs a destination facsimile number and instructs facsimile transmission (200). next,
The original set by the reading unit 9 is read (20
1) The image data of the read document is encoded and stored in the image memory 4 (202).

Then, the user specifies a document page to be used as a template image, and when the first page is specified (203), the image data of the first page is stored in the image synthesizing unit 11 (204). As a result, the image data of the first page is set as the template image. Next, the processing of steps 205 to 207 is repeated for the image data of the second and subsequent pages to generate composite image data.

That is, the image data of the next page is read from the image memory 4 (205), and the image data is combined with the template image by the image combining unit 11 and stored in the image memory 4 again (206). If there is unprocessed image data (207), step 205
Is repeated.

When there is no more unprocessed image data in the image memory 4, the composite image data generated by the above-described processing and stored in the image memory 4 is read out, and the modem 3,
The data is transmitted to the destination facsimile machine or the like via the NCU 2 (208).

Note that the template copy operation described above,
In the template transmission operation, the image data of the page set as the template image is combined with the image data of all other pages. For each of the other pages, whether or not the image data is combined with the template image is determined. May be inquired of the user, and composition or non-composition may be performed according to the result of the query.

Although the setting of the template image is performed in units of one page, the image data of a certain page is displayed on the display unit 7, and an arbitrary part of the displayed image data can be dragged with a mouse or a cursor can be set. The image may be cut out by an operation or the like, and only the cut portion may be set as a template image.

[0023]

As can be understood from the above description, in the image processing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the image synthesizing unit converts any one page of the image data generated by the image reading unit. Since the image data is combined with the image data of another page as the template image and the combined image is output from the image output unit, any one page of the read image data of the document is set as the template image desired by the user, and the setting is performed. This template image can be combined with the image data of the remaining pages and output, and the customization of the template image is extremely high, which is very useful.

In the image processing apparatus according to the second aspect, the image synthesizing unit stores the image data of the first page generated by the image reading unit as a template image. If a facsimile transmission letter, an approval mark, and the like are set, the image data is combined with the image data of another page and output, which is extremely convenient.

In the image processing apparatus according to the third aspect, since the image output means is a printer, the image data synthesized by the image synthesizing section can be recorded on a recording sheet set in advance, and the image data can be extremely recorded. It is informative.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a main configuration of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of the image processing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the image processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 F: Facsimile machine 2: NCU 3: Modem 9: Reading unit 10: Printer 11: Image combining unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] An image reading means for reading an original set in advance and generating image data; and storing an arbitrary page of the image data generated by the image reading means as a template image, and storing an image of another page. An image processing apparatus, comprising: an image synthesizing unit that synthesizes with data; and an image output unit that outputs image data synthesized by the image synthesizing unit. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image synthesizing unit stores the image data of the first page generated by the image reading unit as the template image. 3. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image output means is a printer.