JP2002330275A - Image processor, image processing method, program, storage medium and image formation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processor and an image processing method which enable more convenient image processing by using a form overlay function, and to provide a program, a storage medium and an image formation system. SOLUTION: In the case of recording a plurality of the same forms on a record material 1 page, a setting diagram for a user setting whether to embed the same embedded image in the respective forms or to embed a different embedded image in each of the forms is displayed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for synthesizing form data and embedded image data, an image processing method, a program, a storage medium, and an image forming system.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image processing apparatus for synthesizing form data and embedded image data has been known. For example, when a form is output from a printer, data (form data) indicating the same image (form) for each page, such as a form frame, is stored in a memory in advance, and the form data and the form frame For example, there is an apparatus having a form overlay function for synthesizing character data (embedded image data) indicating a character string described in, for example.

On the other hand, it is common practice to use link information to form data to represent image data to be printed on one page so that it is not necessary to store a plurality of the same form data. In this case, even if there are a plurality of the same forms in the image of one page, only one form data for the form is prepared, and only a plurality of link information for the form data is generated.

[0003]

Since the embedded image data is associated with the form data itself, if there is a plurality of the same forms in the image of one page, the form in which the same embedded image is embedded is used. Multiple will be generated.

For example, if there are a plurality of frames as a form in one page, the same characters are embedded in all the frames. If one wants to print a plurality of business cards on the same page, for example, Although convenient, it is inconvenient to use different form addresses when it is necessary to embed different addresses in each of the same-shaped frames on the same page to create an address book.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus which can more conveniently perform image processing using a form overlay function. An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing method, a program, a storage medium, and an image forming system.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the relative arrangement of components, display screens, and the like described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to them only unless otherwise specified.

(First Embodiment) As an embodiment of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention, a computer which generates image data in which a plurality of form data are combined and outputs the image data to a printer will be described. In the present embodiment, a case where form printing is performed will be described as an example.

Here, a combination of a plurality of forms formed in one page is called a composite form, and a combination of link information to form data corresponding to such a plurality of forms is called a composite form data. In this case, each form constituting the composite form is called a component form. A character string or the like embedded in the form is called an embedded image, and data representing the embedded image is called field data. Also, data specifying where and how to embed the embedded image is called field attribute data.
The file in which the embedded image is stored is called a field data file.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a computer as one embodiment of the present invention.

The computer 500 stores a basic I / O program, an OS, and a form printing program in the CPU 20.
1 operates by executing. The basic I / O program is written in the ROM 202, and the OS is an HD
206 is written. And the computer 50
0 is turned on, the OS is read from the HD 206 into the RAM 203 by the IPL (initial program loading) function in the basic I / O program,
The OS of the RAM 203 is executed by the CPU 201.
In addition, the computer 500 includes a keyboard 207, a display 208, a printer 209, and a control bus 210.

In the case of this embodiment, a form printing program for reading out form data and synthesizing it with field data, and related data are recorded in the FD 205. FIG. 3 shows the structure of the recorded contents. 400 is a configuration diagram of a medium on which programs and the like are recorded. Specifically, it includes volume information 401 on the recording medium, directory information 402 on the recording medium, an execution file 403 of the form printing program on the recording medium, and a related data file 404 of the form printing program on the recording medium.

The form printing program and related data recorded on the FD 205 can be loaded into a computer via the FD drive 204 as shown in FIG. When the FD 205 is set in the FD drive 204, the form print program and the related data are stored in the FD drive under the control of the OS and the basic I / O program.
The data is read out from the memory 205 and loaded into the RAM 203 to become operable.

FIG. 5 shows a form printing program stored in RAM 2
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a memory map 300 in a state where the memory map 300 is loaded into an executable state. As shown, the memory map 300 in the RAM 203 includes a basic I / O program 301,
It includes the OS 302, the form printing program 303, the form printing program related data 304 on the memory map, and the work area 305 on the memory map.

In this embodiment, a form printing program and related data are directly stored in the RAM 20 from the FD 205.
In addition to this, the form printing program and the related data are temporarily stored (installed) in the HD 206 from the FD 205 and the RAM is transferred from the HD 206 to the RAM when the form printing program is operated.
203 may be loaded. The medium for recording the form printing program is a CD-RO in addition to the FD.
M, an IC memory card, or the like. Furthermore, USB
Or Ethernet (registered trademark) or IEEE 1394
It may be downloaded from another computer via an interface such as a bus or a telephone line. It is also possible to record the form printing program in the ROM 202, configure the program as a part of the memory map, and execute the program directly by the CPU 201.

For a detailed description of the overlay printing method and the editing of a composite form, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-12283.
7 "and" JP-A-2000-222151 ".

<Creation of Composite Form File> Next, a description will be given of a composite form creation process when the form printing program is executed by the computer as described above.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a page attribute setting process during the complex form file creation process.

When a composite form file is created, for example, a form editing dialog 1000 as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed to determine how to arrange the form.
Here, 1001 is a tree view, 1002 is an icon representing a page, and 1003 is an icon representing a part form. When the user selects the page icon 1002 and instructs to set page attributes by a command such as a menu, the form printing program displays a dialog for setting page attributes as shown in FIG. 1 (S15).
00). In the dialog shown in FIG. 1, when there are a plurality of the same part forms in the same page, a check box for setting whether to use the same field data for the same part form is displayed.

In this state, as step S1501,
Obtain a page attribute setting instruction from the user. The user issues a page attribute setting instruction depending on whether the check box is checked. Check this check box if you want to embed the same embedded image in multiple same forms in one page, and check the check box if you want to embed a different embedded image in each form. Instead, just click the OK button.

Next, in step S1502, the form printing program determines whether or not an instruction has been given to treat the fields of the same part form as the same fields. If it is determined that the same field is set to be used, the process advances to step S1504, and the SAME of the page attribute of the selected page in the composite form file is set.
Set 1 to FIELD. If it is determined that the same field is not used, the process advances to step S1503 to set 0 to SAMFILE of the page attribute of the selected page in the composite form file.

The set page attributes are stored in the composite form file when the composite form file is stored.

<Overlay Printing> Next, an overlay printing process using a composite form file according to the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the overlay printing operation in this embodiment.

First, upon receiving an instruction for overlay printing, a composite form file reading process is performed in step S100, and a form file reading process is performed in step S101. For example, when printing an address book as shown in FIG. 9, in step S100, the number of pages (the number of composite forms) of the composite form file, the attribute of each page and the component form list to be used, and the A composite form file including data indicating a file name and its position is read, and further, step S101
Then, the part form data (here, A.fcp and B.fcp) as shown in FIG. 10 is read. These detailed processes shall be performed using known methods,
Here, the description is omitted.

[Composite Form Data Expansion Processing] When the form file reading processing is completed in step S101, next, in step S102, composite form data expansion processing is performed. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the composite form data expanding process. For example, composite form data for creating an address book as shown in FIG. 9 has a configuration as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 12, reference numeral 1201 denotes a header, and SIZE indicates the number of pages included in the composite form file. Since SIZE = 1 here,
The address book is composed of one composite form. 1202
Are data indicating attributes of each page, and
Reference numeral 1203c denotes data indicating the attribute of the component form.

First, in step S1601, the page attribute 1202 of the composite form data is obtained, and in step S1602, it is determined whether or not the page attribute SAMEFIELD is zero. If SAMFIELD is 1, the process advances to step S1604, and the page attribute PARTSLI is set.
From the part form attribute data (1203a) at the head of ST, the address of the corresponding part form data is PART
Set to S.

Next, in step S1605, it is determined in the PARTSLIST of the page attribute 1202 whether or not the attribute data of the same part form is before the current part form attribute data in the same page.
If there is, the process advances to step S1606 to set 0 to SETFIELD of the current component form attribute. If not, the process advances to step S1607 to set 1 to SETFIELD of the current component form attribute.

In step S1608, it is determined whether the component form attribute data is completed based on whether NEXT is 0. If the address of the next part form attribute data can be obtained from the current part form attribute NEXT, the process proceeds to step S1603, and moves to the next part form attribute data. repeat.

On the other hand, in step S1602, SA
If MEFIELD is determined to be 0, the process of step S1610 is performed for the component form attribute data at the top of the page attribute PARTSLIST. Step S
In step 1610, the PARTLIST is searched to determine whether component form attribute data for the same component form file name (FILENAME) exists before the current component form attribute data. If the part form attribute data for the same part form has already been read, the process advances to step S1611 to copy the corresponding part form data (A.fcp) in the form data area as shown in FIG. Address is set in PARTS of component form attribute information, and step S
In 1613, the SETF of the component form attribute data
Set IELD to 1.

If it is determined in step S1610 that the component form attribute data for the same component form has not been read, the address of the corresponding component form data is set in PARTS in step S1612, and the process also proceeds to step S1613. Then, 1 is set to SETFIELD of the component form attribute data.

Thereafter, in step S1614, it is determined whether the component form attribute data is completed based on whether NEXT is 0. NEXT of current part form attribute
If the address of the next component form attribute data can be obtained from the following, in step S1609, the process proceeds to the next component form attribute data, and steps S1610 to S1613
The process up to is repeated.

Steps S1608 and S161
When the setting of the part form attribute data is completed for all the part forms in one page in step 4,
Proceeding to 1615, it is determined whether the development of all pages has been completed based on whether NEXT of the page attribute is 0.
If there is still a page, the next page attribute is acquired from the address indicated by NEXT of the current page attribute, and the process returns to step S1601 to move to the next page.

[Field Data Setting Processing] Returning to FIG. 1, when the composite form data development processing is completed, in step S103, a field data file is read, and the flow advances to step S104 to perform field data setting processing. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the field data setting process.

First, in step S1701, it is determined whether or not SETFIELD is 1 in the component form attribute. If the part form attribute SETFIELD is 1, field data is set in the part form in step S1702. The part form has a field data list (FIELDLIST) 1301 and a field attribute data list (FIELDOBJLIST) as shown in FIG.
1302 and form attribute data list (FORMOBJ
LIST) 1303.

In step S1703, the file
While sequentially following the DLIST 1301, the field data acquired in the field data file reading processing (S103) is set in the corresponding field (STRING). The contents of the field data file are as shown in FIG. 16, in which each row constitutes field data. Therefore, for the part form as shown in FIG. 15, field data “AA city, BB town 1-2” in the first line of FIG. 16 is set in the address field 1304, and FIG.
The field data "Ichiro Suzuki" in the second line is set, and the field data "111-222-3333" in the third line in FIG.

The part form attribute SETFIELD is 1
If not, it is not necessary to set the field data in the field, so it is determined in step S1703 whether or not the component form attribute is the last component form attribute. Move to attribute data.

These steps S1701 to S1704
Is repeated for all the part forms in one page. If it is determined in step S1703 that the part form attribute is the last part form attribute, the process proceeds to step S1705, and the page for which field data is to be set ends. Is determined. If there is a page for which field data should be set, step S17
06, and go to steps S1701 to S1701 for the next page.
The processing of S1704 is performed to set the field data.

If it is determined in step S1705 that the setting of field data has been completed for all pages,
The setting processing of this field data ends.

[Printing Process] Returning to FIG. 1, step S10 is executed.
When the field data setting process of No. 4 is completed, the process proceeds to step S105 to perform a printing process. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing details of the printing process.

First, in step S1801, a form attribute data list (FORMOBJLIST) shown in FIG.
Is shifted from the first component form by the value set in OFFSET of the component form attribute data.

Next, in step S1802, by sequentially traversing the field attribute data list (FIELDOBJLIST), the character information is read from the corresponding field data.
(STRING) is acquired, expanded according to the character attribute set in the field attribute data, and combined with the form data. At that time, OFFS of the component form attribute
ET is shifted by the value set in ET.

In step S1803, it is determined whether the part form is the last part form. If not, the flow advances to step S1804 to move to the next part form.

These steps S1801 to S1803
Is repeated for all the part forms in one page. If it is determined in step S1803 that the part form attribute is the last part form attribute, the flow advances to step S1805 to print the expanded image data by the printer. I do.

In step S1806, it is determined whether the page to be printed has been completed. If there is a page to be printed, the process advances to step S1807 to execute the processes of steps S1801 to S1805 for the next page and print.

If it is determined in step S1806 that printing of all pages has been completed, this printing process ends.

As described above, if overlay printing is performed, for example, when embedding field data as shown in FIG. 16 in a composite form as shown in FIG. 9, if the check is removed from the dialog shown in FIG. Part form data A. For each fcp (FIG. 10), FIG.
Since different field data is set in S1702, the print result is as shown in FIG.

If the check is made in the dialog of FIG. Since SETFIELD of the second form attribute file for fcp becomes 0 (FIG. 12), no field data is set in S1702 in FIG. 14, and the part form in which the same field data is set is expanded twice. ,
The print result is as shown in FIG.

The processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 17 may be performed in the printer 209. That is, the composite form data from the computer 500 to the printer 209,
The form data and the field data may be transmitted, developed in the printer 209, combined with the data, and printed out.

According to this embodiment, when the same part form is used in the same page, depending on the use of the user,
It is possible to switch between using the same field data, such as printing a business card, and using different field data, such as printing an address book.

Further, since this switching is performed by the composite form file, the setting can be easily changed because the setting is changed by the form editor instead of the change of the user program which requires a programmer.

In the above embodiment, the form printing has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this.
It can be applied when performing various form overlay printing in which an embedded image is embedded in a form and output.

In the above embodiment, in FIG. 8, after the field data setting process in step S104 is performed on all the field data stored in the field data file, the printing process in step S105 is performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the field setting process and the printing process may be performed for each page to be printed. In this case, only the processing for one page is performed in steps S104 and S105 (steps S1705, S1706, S1806, S180).
7 is not executed), and the processing of step S104 and step S105 is repeated until all the field data is processed.

In this way, since the printing process is performed in units of one page, the processing time until the start of printing by the printer is reduced, and as a result, the processing time as a whole can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, the form and the embedded image are synthesized by the computer as the image processing apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
The present invention is also applicable to an image forming system that combines form data stored in advance and embedded image data transmitted from a computer inside a printer.

In this case, a printer as an image forming apparatus is provided with a memory including a form data area for storing form data, and a computer as an image processing apparatus is provided with embedded image data to be embedded in the form data. Is provided to the printer. When a plurality of the same forms are recorded on one page of the recording material on the monitor screen of the computer, whether to embed the same embedded image in each form or to embed a different embedded image for each form Display the dialog for setting. Further, when a plurality of the same forms are recorded on one page of the recording material, and when it is set in the dialog to embed different embedding images for each form, the predetermined form is represented in the printer. Instructs to duplicate form data and store it in the form data area. The printer duplicates the form data in accordance with the instruction, combines different embedded image data with the plurality of duplicated form data, and generates image data to be recorded on one page of the recording material.

Even if the present invention is applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), an apparatus composed of one device (for example, a copying machine, a facsimile, etc.) Device).

Another object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium (or a recording medium) in which a program code of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiment is recorded to a system or an apparatus, and to provide a computer (a computer) of the system or the apparatus. Or a CPU or MPU) reads out and executes the program code stored in the storage medium,
Needless to say, this is achieved. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium implements the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.
In addition, by executing the program code read by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also based on the instructions of the program code,
The operating system (OS) running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing,
It goes without saying that a case where the function of the above-described embodiment is realized by the processing is also included.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written in the memory provided in the function expansion card inserted into the computer or the function expansion unit connected to the computer, the program code is read based on the instruction of the program code. , The CPU provided in the function expansion card or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing,
It goes without saying that a case where the function of the above-described embodiment is realized by the processing is also included.

When the present invention is applied to the storage medium, the storage medium stores program codes corresponding to the above-described flowcharts (shown in FIGS. 11 and 14).

[0061]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a program, a storage medium, and an image forming system capable of more conveniently performing image processing using a form overlay function. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a page attribute setting screen in a form printing program according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a computer to which a form printing program according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a memory map of a medium in which a form printing program and the like according to one embodiment of the present invention are recorded.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing that a form printing program and the like according to an embodiment of the present invention are supplied from a medium to a computer system.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a memory map in a RAM when a form printing program according to an embodiment of the present invention operates.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a page attribute setting process in a form printing program according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a composite form editing screen of a form printing program according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing overlay printing processing using a form printing program according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a composite form.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a part form.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a process of expanding composite form data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a memory map of composite form data in a case where one part form data is associated with a plurality of identical part form attribute data in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a memory map of composite form data in a case where a plurality of identical part form data are associated with a plurality of identical part form attribute data in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a process of setting field data of composite form data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a memory map of component form data according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a field data file.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating printing processing of composite form data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of an overlay print result when fields of the same part form according to the embodiment of the present invention are not treated as the same field.

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of an overlay print result when fields of the same component according to the embodiment of the present invention are treated as the same field.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) 5C076 F-term (Reference) 2C087 AA03 AA09 AA12 AB05 BA03 BA04 BA05 BC07 BD09 BD46 2C187 AD03 5B021 AA01 DD00 LA03 5B050 BA06 BA10 BA19 BA20 CA07 EA19 EA20 FA03 5B057 AA11 BA24 BA26 CE08 CH11 CH18 5C076 AA14 AA16 AA18 BA04 CA02

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A recording material 1 in which different embedded image data are combined with a plurality of form data stored in a form data area in a memory, and the form data combined with the embedded image data is combined. Generating means for generating image data to be recorded on a page; when recording the same form on one page of a recording material, embedding the same embedded image in each form or embedding a different embedded image for each form Acquiring means for acquiring setting information as to whether or not to embed; setting information in which a plurality of the same forms are recorded on one page of the recording material, wherein the acquiring means embeds a different embedded image for each form; In the case of acquiring the form data, the form data representing the form is duplicated before the image data is generated by the generation means, and the duplication means stores the form data in the form data area. The image processing apparatus characterized by having. 2. When two or more identical forms are recorded on one page of a recording material, setting information as to whether to embed the same embedded image in each form or to embed a different embedded image for each form is obtained. And acquiring the same form on one page of the recording material, and setting information for embedding a different embedding image for each form in the acquiring step. Duplicating form data representing the form data and storing the form data in a form data area in a memory; and combining a plurality of form data stored in the form data area with different embedded image data. Generating an image data to be recorded on one page of the recording material by combining the form data combined with the image data. 3. Setting whether to embed the same embedded image in each form or to embed a different embedded image in each form when a plurality of identical forms are recorded on one page of recording material in a computer. An acquisition step for acquiring information, wherein a plurality of the same forms are recorded on one page of the recording material, and in the acquisition step, when setting information for embedding different embedding images for each form is acquired, Duplicating the form data representing the form and storing the form data in a form data area in a memory; combining a plurality of form data stored in the form data area with different embedded image data to form the embedded image; Generating the image data to be recorded on one page of the recording material by combining the form data with which the data has been synthesized. Program. 4. Setting whether to embed the same embedding image in each form or to embed a different embedding image for each form when a plurality of same forms are recorded on one page of recording material in a computer. An acquisition step for acquiring information, wherein a plurality of the same forms are recorded on one page of the recording material, and in the acquisition step, when setting information for embedding different embedding images for each form is acquired, Duplicating the form data representing the form and storing the form data in a form data area in a memory; combining a plurality of form data stored in the form data area with different embedded image data to form the embedded image; Generating the image data to be recorded on one page of the recording material by combining the form data with which the data has been synthesized. A storage medium that stores programs. 5. An image forming apparatus having a memory including a form data area for storing form data, and an image processing apparatus for transmitting embedded image data embedded in the form data to the image forming apparatus. In the image forming system, the image processing apparatus may be configured to embed the same embedded image in each form when recording the same form on one page of a recording material in the image forming apparatus, or for each form. Means for acquiring setting information as to whether a different embedded image is embedded in a recording material, and a case in which a plurality of the same forms are recorded on one page of a recording material. When the setting information for embedding is obtained, the image forming apparatus copies form data representing the form and stores the copied form data in the form data area. A transmitting means for transmitting embedded image data to the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of form data stored in the form data area; Generating means for synthesizing embedded image data, generating image data to be recorded on one page of a recording material by combining the form data with which the embedded image data is synthesized, and generating the image data according to an instruction from the instruction means. And a duplicating means for duplicating the form data representing the form before generating the image data by the means, and storing the duplicated form data in the form data area.