JP2004341865A - Method, device and program for correcting inclination of image - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a person to relatively easily give an inclination (rotating angle) to a document image with high precision. <P>SOLUTION: A linear guide shown by a segment is displayed no a screen showing an image, so that the linear guide can be rotated at an angle of minimum unit or at an angle of a magnification of minimum unit, or one end point of the linear guide can be moved in a position coordinate value of minimum unit or in a coordinate value of a magnification of minimum unit. The person performs the rotation of the angle or the movement of the coordinate by the click frequency of a pointing device or the key touch frequency of a keyboard and operates the linear guide to be in parallel to the inclination (rotating angle) of the image, whereby the inclination (rotating angle) of the image is designated. The instructing operation by the pointing device or keyboard never change the finally determined inclination (rotating angle). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method, a device, and a program for correcting a tilt (rotation) of an image captured by a computer by specifying a tilt (rotation) angle of the image by a human.
[0002]
[Prior art]
When a document is captured as an image with a scanner (scanning device), if the document is tilted (rotated) or the written document content itself is tilted (rotated) with respect to the document paper, the input is performed. The document becomes an unsightly image when it is tilted (rotated). When character recognition is performed on the document image, the recognition rate is adversely affected if the document image remains tilted (rotated). Even when filing is performed by compression, the compression ratio often deteriorates when the file is inclined (rotated). Therefore, it is necessary to rotate the tilted (rotated) angle in the opposite direction and correct the tilt so that the document image is parallel to the horizontal line or the vertical line.
[0003]
In order to correct the tilt (rotation), there is a method in which a captured image is processed by a computer and the tilt (rotation) angle is automatically detected. However, if the document contains not only characters but also images such as figures and photographs having many oblique lines, it is often impossible to automatically detect the inclination (rotation) angle. In such a case, it is necessary for a human to interactively specify the inclination (rotation) angle of the document.
[0004]
As a method of designating a tilt (rotation) angle of a document by a human, there is a conventional technique of Patent Document 1. In this method, a document image is displayed on a display device, and a human designates a rectangular area along a character string of the document with a mouse as a pointing device on the document image displayed on the screen of the display apparatus. Character is to be recognized. At this time, even if the document image is tilted (rotated), the tilt (rotation) angle of the document image is given by designating one side of the rectangular area to be parallel to the character string. Move the mouse position display cursor on the display screen where the document image is displayed, and specify the rectangular area by giving three points at the position of the position display cursor when the mouse is clicked. The tilt (rotation) angle of the image is obtained from the positions on the display screen of the first point and the second point of the three points.
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-4-288691
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the position specification using the position display cursor on the screen of the mouse is inferior in accuracy, and often the position cannot be specified exactly as desired. Not only a mouse but also a joystick, a pointing stick, a trackball, a trackpad, a glide point, a pen, and the like, the position designation based on the position of the position display cursor of the pointing device has poor pointing accuracy. For example, it can be explained that two points are given by clicking a position on the screen of the pointing device, and considerable concentration is required to draw a horizontal line or a vertical line without inclination. To concentrate, you need to place the position display cursor on the pointing device at the position you want to specify, click the pointing device's click button with the position fixed, and click the position you want to specify Is likely to be shifted.
[0006]
Even if the angle of the straight line in the document is inclined (rotated) by 0.1 degrees or 0.01 degrees, the straight line displayed on the screen becomes stair-like and becomes unsightly. The (rotation) angle needs to be given with high accuracy.
Under such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to allow a human to relatively easily and accurately give an inclination (rotation) angle of a document image or the like.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A first method of the present invention for accurately giving a tilt (rotation) angle of an image is to display a straight line guide indicated by a line segment on a screen displaying an image, and to set the straight line guide at an angle of a minimum unit. Alternatively, the image can be rotated at an angle that is a multiple of the minimum unit, and the number of clicks on the pointing device or the number of key touches on the keyboard is used to rotate the unit angle or a multiple of the unit angle. The tilt (rotation) angle of the image is designated by a human operation so as to be parallel to the (rotation) angle.
[0008]
Further, according to a second method of the present invention, a straight line guide indicated by a line segment is displayed on a screen displaying an image, and one end point of the straight line guide is a minimum unit of position coordinates or a multiple of the minimum unit. The coordinates of the image can be moved, and the number of clicks on the pointing device or the number of key touches on the keyboard can be used to move the unit coordinates or a multiple of the unit coordinates, so that the linear guide is parallel to the tilt (rotation) angle of the image. The tilt (rotation) angle of the image is designated by a human operation so as to be as desired.
[0009]
Further, a third method of the present invention is a combination of the first method and the second method. A straight line guide indicated by a line segment is displayed on a screen displaying an image, and the straight line guide is displayed. Pointing to allow rotation at the minimum unit angle or an angle that is a multiple of the minimum unit, or that one end point of the linear guide can move the minimum unit of position coordinates or a coordinate that is a multiple of the minimum unit. The number of clicks on the device or the number of key touches on the keyboard rotates the unit angle or a multiple of the unit angle, or moves the unit coordinates or a multiple of the unit coordinates. (2) A human operation is performed so as to be parallel to the angle, thereby designating the inclination (rotation) angle of the image.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is an operation screen for designating a tilt (rotation) angle of an image displayed on a display device in the first method of the present invention.
By executing a filing program or a character recognition program including a process of correcting the tilt (rotation) of the image interactively with a human, the window 101 of FIG. 1 is displayed on the screen of the display device, and the image display area 103 in the window is displayed. To display the image 104 to be edited. When the target image is inclined (rotated), the inclination (rotation) process is performed as follows.
[0011]
First, the cursor of the pointing device is displayed at the position of "Edit (E)" 105 in the operation menu, and the click button of the pointing device is pressed (clicked) to display the editing type menu 106. This operation is referred to as “clicking on“ edit (E). ”The same applies to the following: By clicking“ rotate ”107 in the edit type menu 106, a“ rotation method designation ”window 108 appears. Let it. By clicking “Skew correction by linear guide” 110 in the menu in the “Specify rotation method” window, a “Skew correction by linear guide” window 111 is displayed, and a straight guide 112 of an appropriate length is displayed on the image 104. Is superimposed and displayed at an appropriate position. In FIG. 1, the initial display of the straight guide is given by a horizontal line, but may be a vertical line. The straight line guide is distinguished from the image 104 by making it a broken line or adding a color. Here, it is assumed that the linear guide is automatically displayed. However, the linear guide may be given by a method of designating two points with a pointing device.
[0012]
According to the present invention, by operating a pointing device or a keyboard by a human, only the linear guide is rotated about the center of the linear guide, and the linear guide is made parallel to the inclination of the image, so that the linear guide is rotated. The inclination (rotation) angle of the image is given from the inclination of. Here, the linear guide is rotated around the midpoint, but the center of rotation is not limited to the midpoint.
[0013]
Clicking the left button of the pointing device in the rotation direction designation button 116 in the “inclination correction by linear guide” window 111 rotates the linear guide to the left, and clicking the right button rotates the linear guide to the right. Left-click and right-click, respectively. A mouse or the like in the pointing device can perform a left click and a right click. However, in a pointing device such as a pen that cannot perform left and right clicks, a straight line is clicked when the left portion 117 in the rotation direction designation button 116 is clicked. The guide is rotated to the left, and when the right part 118 in the rotation direction designation button 116 is clicked, the linear guide is rotated to the right. Alternatively, the linear guide is rotated left when the key "J" on the keyboard is touched, and the linear guide is rotated right when the key "K" is touched on the keyboard. The keys on the keyboard for instructing left and right rotation are not limited to “J” and “K”. Other keys may be assigned, but when operating with one hand, it is more convenient to give adjacent keys on the keyboard.
[0014]
One click of the pointing device or one key touch of the keyboard rotates the linear guide 112 at the minimum unit angle. The minimum unit of the angle may be, for example, 0.01 degrees, but is not limited thereto.
[0015]
The operation in the minimum unit may be slow.To increase the speed, click the click button of the pointing device once while holding down the shift key, or touch the key on the keyboard once while holding down the shift key. , An angle n times the minimum unit may be used. Although the shift key is used here, the present invention is not limited to this. As an example, n = 10 can be considered, but the present invention is not limited to this. In order to increase the speed, holding down the click button of the pointing device or holding down the key of the keyboard key, until the click button is released, or until the key is released, the minimum unit, Alternatively, there is a method of keeping the rotation of n times the minimum unit.
[0016]
If it is desired to move the entire straight guide 112 to another place where it is easy to make the straight guide parallel to the tilt (rotation) angle of the image, the respective moving direction instruction buttons 119 and 120 indicated by arrows in the “tilt correction by straight guide” window 111 are displayed. , 121, 122 or by key touching each arrow key on the keyboard to move it to an appropriate position. Alternatively, there is a method in which the pointing device is moved while the linear guide is being clicked with the pointing device, thereby moving the entire linear guide.
[0017]
When the straight guide 112 can be specified to be parallel to the tilt (rotation) angle of the image, the “tilt correction” button 127 in the “tilt correction by linear guide” window 111 is clicked. Since the click operation and the key touch operation of the pointing device by this method do not change the inclination of the linear guide, the inclination (rotation) angle can be accurately specified. Thereby, the computer calculates the tilt (rotation) angle from the current tilt of the linear guide, performs the tilt (rotation) correction by rotating the image in the reverse direction by the tilt (rotation) angle, and corrects the tilt (rotation). The displayed image is displayed in the image display area 103. If the displayed image is acceptable, the image is stored or character recognition is performed on the image.
[0018]
FIG. 2 is an operation screen for designating a tilt (rotation) angle of an image displayed on the display device according to the second method of the present invention. By executing a filing program or a character recognition program including an image inclination (rotation) correction process, the window 201 in FIG. 2 is displayed on the screen of the display device, and the image 204 to be edited is displayed in the image display area 203 in the window. Display. When the target image is inclined (rotated), the inclination (rotation) process is performed as follows.
[0019]
First, an edit type menu 206 is displayed by clicking an “edit (E)” 205 of the operation menu with a pointing device. By clicking “Rotate” 207 in the edit type menu, a “Rotation method designation” window 208 appears. By clicking “Skew correction by straight guide” 210 in the menu in the “Rotation method designation” window, a “Skew correction by straight guide” window 211 is displayed, and the straight guide 212 is displayed over the image 204. . The left end point 214 of the linear guide is referred to as end point 1, and the right end point 215 is referred to as end point 2. In FIG. 2, the straight guide is given by a horizontal line, but may be a vertical line.
[0020]
According to the present invention, by manipulating a pointing device or a keyboard to move an end point of the linear guide and to make the linear guide parallel to the inclination of the image, the inclination of the linear guide is changed from the inclination of the image ( Rotation) to give the angle. By clicking the "end point 1" button 223 or the "end point 2" button 224 in the "inclination correction by linear guide" window 211 with a pointing device, one end point of the linear guide 212 is fixed to another end point. To be able to move. In the initial state in which the straight guide is displayed, the work efficiency is good if the end point 2 can be moved without clicking the “end point 2” button 224 in the “inclination correction by straight line guide” window 211. The movement of the end point is performed by using the respective movement direction instruction buttons 219, 220, 221, 222 indicated by arrows in the "inclination correction by linear guide" window 211, or by using the respective arrow keys on the keyboard. There are four directions of movement, up, down, left, and right. Each time the user clicks once with a pointing device or touches the arrow key of the keyboard once, the end point 214 or the end point 215 of the linear guide 212 is positioned. Move in the direction corresponding to the minimum unit of coordinates. The minimum unit of the position coordinates may be the minimum pixel of the display device, but is not limited to this.
[0021]
The operation in the minimum unit may be slow.To increase the speed, click the click button of the pointing device once while holding down the shift key, or touch the key on the keyboard once while holding down the shift key. , N times the minimum unit. In order to increase the speed, holding down the click button of the pointing device or holding down the key of the keyboard key, until the click button is released, or until the key is released, the minimum unit, Alternatively, there is a method of continuously moving n times the minimum unit.
[0022]
If it is desired to move the entire straight guide 212 to a position where it is easy to make it parallel to the tilt (rotation) angle of the image, click the “straight” button 225 in the “straight correction with straight guide” window 211 and “ Click on the direction instruction buttons 219, 220, 221 and 222 in the window 211, or touch the arrow keys on the keyboard to move to an appropriate position.
[0023]
When the straight guide 212 can be specified to be parallel to the tilt (rotation) angle of the image, the “tilt correction” button 227 is clicked. Since the click operation and the key touch operation of the pointing device by this method do not change the inclination of the linear guide, the inclination (rotation) angle can be accurately specified. Accordingly, the computer calculates the tilt angle from the current tilt of the linear guide, corrects the tilt by rotating the image in the reverse direction by the tilt angle, and displays the tilt-corrected image in the image display area 203. If the displayed image is acceptable, the image is stored or character recognition is performed on the image.
[0024]
FIG. 3 shows a third method of the present invention, which is a combination of the first method and the second method, and is an operation screen for designating an inclination (rotation) angle of an image displayed on a display device. It is. By executing a filing program or a character recognition program including a process of correcting the inclination (rotation) of the image interactively with a human, the window 301 of FIG. 3 is displayed on the screen of the display device, and the image display area 303 in the window is displayed. Display the image 304 to be edited. When the target image is inclined (rotated), the inclination (rotation) process is performed as follows.
[0025]
First, an “edit (E)” 305 in the operation menu is clicked to display an edit type menu 306. By clicking “rotation” 307 in the editing type menu, a “rotation method designation” window 308 appears. By clicking “Skew correction by linear guide” 310 in the menu in the “Rotation method designation” window, a “Skew correction by linear guide” window 311 is displayed, and a straight guide 312 of an appropriate length is displayed on the image 304. Is superimposed and displayed at an appropriate position.
[0026]
According to the present invention, by manipulating a pointing device or a keyboard, only the linear guide is rotated around the center of the linear guide, or the end point of the linear guide is moved, and the linear guide is moved to an image. By making the inclination parallel to the inclination, the inclination (rotation) angle of the image is given from the inclination of the linear guide.
[0027]
In the rotation direction designation button 316 in the “inclination correction by linear guide” window 311, the linear guide is rotated left by clicking left and the linear guide is rotated right by right clicking. Alternatively, the linear guide is rotated left when the key "J" on the keyboard is touched, and the linear guide is rotated right when the key "K" is touched on the keyboard.
[0028]
Further, by clicking the “end point 1” button 323 or the “end point 2” button 324 in the “inclination correction by linear guide” window 311 with a pointing device, one end point of the linear guide 312 can be changed to another end point. Be able to move while fixed. The movement of the end point is performed by using each of the movement direction instruction buttons 319, 320, 321, and 322 indicated by the arrow in the “inclination correction by linear guide” window 311 or each arrow key of the keyboard. There are four directions of movement: up, down, left and right. Each time you click once with a pointing device or touches the arrow key of the keyboard once, the end point of the linear guide is set in the corresponding unit in the minimum unit of position coordinates. Move to
[0029]
When the straight guide 312 can be designated to be parallel to the tilt (rotation) angle of the image, the “tilt correction” button 327 in the “tilt correction by straight guide” window 311 is clicked. Thus, the computer calculates the tilt angle from the current tilt of the linear guide, corrects the tilt by rotating the image in the reverse direction by the tilt angle, and displays the tilt-corrected image in the image display area 303. If the displayed image is acceptable, the image is stored or character recognition is performed on the image.
[0030]
【Example】
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an apparatus for executing an image editing program for correcting the inclination (rotation) of an image by the above method.
Each part of the device is connected to a bus 410, and the overall operation is controlled by a control unit 420. A keyboard 421 and a mouse 422 as a pointing device for human operation are connected to the control unit 420. The arithmetic processing unit 430 performs an arithmetic operation related to the memory 450, the hard disk 460, the display device 440, and the like under the control of the control unit 420.
[0031]
First, an image editing program on the hard disk 460 is started using the keyboard 421 and the mouse 422. The image editing program is stored in the memory 450, and the control is transferred to the image editing program. The following operates under the management of the program. When the control is passed to this program, windows such as those shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are displayed on the display device 440, and the system waits for a human instruction by the keyboard 421 and the mouse 422. The image to be edited is observed by the scanner 470 or stored on the hard disk 460 through the network 480.
[0032]
The human operates the mouse 422 and the keyboard 421 to move the mouse cursor position and click on the instruction menu in the window displayed on the display device 440, or by key-touching an appropriate keyboard. The target image is displayed, the linear guide is moved and rotated to a position parallel to the tilt (rotation) angle of the displayed image, and the tilt (rotation) angle of the image is determined.
The editing program corrects the inclination (rotation) of the image based on the determined inclination of the linear guide, displays the image on the screen of the display device 440, and stores the image on the hard disk 460.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the designation of the inclination (rotation) angle of the image is an operation that does not change the inclination (rotation) angle desired to be finally specified, so that the inclination (rotation) angle of the image is small for humans. It is possible to specify accurately with a burden, and work efficiency when filing an image can be improved. Also, if the inclination (rotation) of the image is corrected at the angle obtained by this method, the angle is accurately specified, so that the compression ratio when compressing and filing the image is improved, and when the character is recognized. Can be expected to improve recognition performance.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an operation screen for specifying a tilt (rotation) angle of an image displayed on a display device according to the first method of the present invention, and includes an instruction button for rotating a linear guide.
FIG. 2 is an operation screen for specifying an inclination (rotation) angle of an image displayed on the display device according to the second method of the present invention, and includes an instruction button for moving an end point of a linear guide. .
FIG. 3 is an operation screen for designating a tilt (rotation) angle of an image, which is displayed on the display device according to the third method of the present invention, and includes an instruction button for rotating a straight guide, and a straight line. Includes an instruction button for moving the end point of the guide.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an apparatus for executing an image editing program for performing image tilt (rotation) correction.
[Explanation of symbols]
101, 201, 301: Operation screens 104, 204, 304 of the image editing program: Images 111, 211, 311 to be subjected to tilt (rotation) correction Operation windows 112, 212, 312 for performing "tilt correction by linear guide" : Linear guide 410: bus 420: control unit 430: arithmetic processing unit 440: display device 450: memory 460: hard disk 470: scanner

Claims (9)

An operation screen for performing an operation interactively with a human and a target image to be operated are displayed on the operation screen,
A linear guide that serves as a guide for specifying the inclination angle of the target image is displayed on the operation screen,
By rotating the linear guide at the minimum unit angle, or at an angle that is a multiple of the minimum unit, and operating the tilt angle of the linear guide parallel to the tilt angle of the target image, the tilt angle of the image Specify,
A method for correcting image inclination. An operation screen for performing an operation interactively with a human and a target image to be operated are displayed on the operation screen,
A linear guide that serves as a guide for specifying the inclination angle of the target image is displayed on the operation screen,
By moving one end point of the linear guide by the coordinate value of the minimum unit or the coordinate value of a multiple of the minimum unit, by operating the inclination angle of the linear guide so as to be parallel to the inclination angle of the target image. , Specify the tilt angle of the image,
A method for correcting image inclination. An operation screen for performing an operation interactively with a human and a target image to be operated are displayed on the operation screen,
A linear guide that serves as a guide for specifying the inclination angle of the target image is displayed on the operation screen,
The linear guide is rotated at an angle of the minimum unit, or an angle of a multiple of the minimum unit, or one end point of the linear guide is moved at the coordinate value of the minimum unit, or the coordinate value of a multiple of the minimum unit. A tilt angle of the image is designated by operating the tilt angle of the linear guide so as to be parallel to the tilt angle of the target image. A means for displaying an operation screen for performing an operation interactively with a human on a display device, a means for displaying a target image to be operated on the operation screen, and a guide for designating a tilt angle of the target image Means for displaying a linear guide on the operation screen, and means for rotating the linear guide at an angle of a minimum unit or an angle of a multiple of the minimum unit, wherein the inclination angle of the linear guide is determined by the inclination of the target image. An image inclination correction device, wherein an inclination angle of an image is designated by operating the image in parallel with the angle. A means for displaying an operation screen for performing an operation interactively with a human on a display device, a means for displaying a target image to be operated on the operation screen, and a guide for designating a tilt angle of the target image Means for displaying a linear guide on the operation screen, and means for moving one end point of the linear guide by a coordinate value of a minimum unit or a coordinate value of a multiple of the minimum unit, and the inclination angle of the linear guide A tilt angle of the image by specifying the tilt angle of the target image in parallel with the tilt angle of the target image. A means for displaying an operation screen for performing an operation interactively with a human on a display device, a means for displaying a target image to be operated on the operation screen, and a guide for designating a tilt angle of the target image Means for displaying a linear guide on the operation screen, means for rotating the linear guide at an angle of a minimum unit, or an angle of a multiple of the minimum unit, or one end point of the linear guide at a coordinate value of the minimum unit Or means for moving at a coordinate value of a multiple of the minimum unit, and by operating the inclination angle of the linear guide so as to be parallel to the inclination angle of the target image, to specify the inclination angle of the image. An image inclination correction device characterized by the following. An operation screen for performing an operation interactively with a human and a target image to be operated are displayed on the operation screen,
A linear guide that serves as a guide for specifying the inclination angle of the target image is displayed on the operation screen,
By rotating the linear guide at the minimum unit angle, or at an angle that is a multiple of the minimum unit, and operating the tilt angle of the linear guide parallel to the tilt angle of the target image, the tilt angle of the image Specify,
Image inclination correction program that executes each procedure. An operation screen for performing an operation interactively with a human and a target image to be operated are displayed on the operation screen,
A linear guide that serves as a guide for specifying the inclination angle of the target image is displayed on the operation screen,
By moving one end point of the linear guide by the coordinate value of the minimum unit or the coordinate value of a multiple of the minimum unit, by operating the inclination angle of the linear guide so as to be parallel to the inclination angle of the target image. , Specify the tilt angle of the image,
Image inclination correction program that executes each procedure. An operation screen for performing an operation interactively with a human and a target image to be operated are displayed on the operation screen,
A linear guide that serves as a guide for specifying the inclination angle of the target image is displayed on the operation screen,
The linear guide is rotated at an angle of the minimum unit, or an angle of a multiple of the minimum unit, or one end point of the linear guide is moved at the coordinate value of the minimum unit, or the coordinate value of a multiple of the minimum unit. An image inclination correction program for executing each procedure, by designating the inclination angle of the image by operating the inclination angle of the linear guide so as to be parallel to the inclination angle of the target image.

Images