JP2005354469A - Image processing apparatus and printer thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To monitor binarized data before print outputting. <P>SOLUTION: The image processing apparatus is provided with a binarizer (14) for creating printing data by binarizing input data, a buffer memory (15) capable of storing formed printing data, a printing controller (16) for permitting printing control according to the printed data in the buffer memory, an RGB converting processor (19) capable of converting the printed data in the buffer memory into RGB data, and a display controller (20) capable of performing display control according to the RGB data obtained at the RGB converting processor. The RGB converting processor converts the binarized printing data at the binarizer into the RGB data, and the display controller performs display control on the basis of the RGB data. By using the printing data thus binarized for the display control, a displayed image approximates to an image actually printed compared to that displayed by using a gray scale. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing technique, and more particularly, to an image processing apparatus that enables binarization processing of input data and print control to a printer, and a printer including the image processing apparatus.

  In a printing system that outputs print information to a printer by a printer driver stored in a storage medium on the host computer side, when outputting certain image data created by an application to the printer, a drawing command sent from the operating system is sent to the printer. The driver converts it into a printer output control command and outputs it to the printer. The printer driver receives the drawing data of the application and spools it to the disk. After all drawing data is received from the application and spooled to the disk, the printer driver reads the data from the spool file, and CMYK of the printer ink from the RGB data of the monitor (C: cyan, M: magenta, Y: yellow, B: black) Various processes related to printing, such as conversion to data, are performed, finally converted into a printer command, and drawing data is output to the printer. In the printer, printing is executed by executing a command sent from the printer driver.

  As an example of a technique for acquiring a print image before printing and displaying it on the screen, a print command sent to the printer is analyzed by a computer connected to the printer, and the print image is generated by developing for each CMYK plane by the computer. After sending a print command to the printer from the host computer that causes the printer to print or the printer, the host computer receives the print image created inside the printer and displays it based on the received print image The method of performing is generally known.

  Also, when using a printer to print a digital image taken with a digital camera or the like, after storing the digital image in a hard disk on a personal computer, a method for viewing, editing, and printing using the software of the personal computer However, in recent printers, a card slot for inserting a recording medium used in a digital camera or the like and an operation panel for receiving a print setting instruction from the user are connected to a personal computer. Some printers have a function of printing a digital image of a recording medium without using a printer. Some of such printers can display the image on a dedicated liquid crystal monitor or external connection monitor provided in the printer, and set and print using the operation panel while viewing the display (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2002-254751 (FIG. 2)

  In an image processing apparatus mounted on a printer or the like, binary data is formed by binarizing multi-value data captured from the outside via an interface, and the binary data is printed out for printing. Is done. When a dedicated liquid crystal monitor is mounted on the printer, the print contents can be monitored by displaying on the liquid crystal monitor before actual printing. At this time, the display on the liquid crystal monitor is performed in gray scale based on the multi-value data. However, since printing is performed based on the binarized data, there is a sense of incongruity between what is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor and what is actually printed. That is, when the display on the liquid crystal monitor is a gray scale display based on multi-value data, the binarization processing data cannot be monitored.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for enabling monitoring of an image close to an actually printed image.

  The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

  The following is a brief description of an outline of typical inventions disclosed in the present application.

  That is, the binarization processing unit for forming the print data by binarizing the input data, the buffer memory capable of storing the formed print data, and printing according to the print data in the buffer memory When the image processing apparatus is configured to include a print control unit that enables control, the RGB conversion processing unit that can convert the print data in the buffer memory into RGB data, and the RGB conversion processing unit A display controller that enables display control in accordance with RGB data is provided.

  According to the above means, the RGB conversion processing unit converts the print data binarized by the binarization processing unit into RGB data, and the display controller performs display control based on the RGB data. By using print data that has been binarized for printing in this way for display control, the image display is closer to the image that is actually printed than when the image is expressed in grayscale, It is easy to grasp the print image.

  At this time, the binarization processing unit binarizes the input CMYK data to form binary print data for each of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, and the RGB conversion processing unit The RGB conversion can be performed by omitting the black data in the binary print data.

  In addition, a print data correction processing unit for performing a correction process of the print data before the print control and the RGB conversion process can be provided.

  Furthermore, it is possible to provide a resolution conversion processing unit for performing resolution conversion processing of print data before the print control and the RGB conversion processing.

  The printer can be configured to include the image processing apparatus having the above configuration, a printing unit that is print-controlled by the print control unit, and a display unit that is display-controlled by the display controller.

  The effects obtained by the representative ones of the inventions disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows.

  That is, since it is possible to monitor the binarized processing data before print output, it is easy to grasp the print image.

  FIG. 4 shows a printer equipped with the image processing apparatus according to the present invention.

  The printer 500 shown in FIG. 4 is not particularly limited, but performs printing based on the image processing apparatus 100 that processes multi-value data for printing transmitted from the personal computer 400 and print output from the image processing apparatus 100. And a display unit 300 capable of displaying an image based on a monitor output from the image processing apparatus 100. The display unit 300 is not particularly limited, but is a liquid crystal display device. Before the printing unit 200 actually prints, the display unit 300 can confirm the print image.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of the image processing apparatus 100.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image processing apparatus 100 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 10, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12, and an external interface (I / F). The binarization processing unit 14, the print data buffer memory 15, the print control unit 16, the print output unit 17, and the display processing system 18 are not particularly limited. It is formed on one semiconductor substrate such as a substrate. The monitor processing system 18 includes an RGB conversion processing unit 19, a display controller 20, and a monitor output unit 21. The ROM 10, CPU 11, RAM 12, external interface 13, and binarization processing unit 14 are coupled by a bus BUS so that data can be exchanged.

  The ROM 10 stores a program executed by the CPU 11 and the like. The CPU 11 executes arithmetic processing for operation control of each unit in accordance with the program in the ROM 10. The RAM 12 is used as a work area for arithmetic processing in the CPU 11 and a temporary storage area for print data. The external interface 13 is used for taking print data from an external device such as the personal computer 400. The print data is not particularly limited, but is CMYK (C: cyan, M: magenta, Y: yellow, B: black) data.

  The binarization processing unit performs binarization processing of the CMYK data based on a predetermined threshold value. Here, in the binarization processing unit 14, error diffusion processing is performed in the binarization processing of CMYK data (multi-level data). This processing makes it possible to match the average density of the image before and after binarization by diffusing binary quantization error at the time of binarization to surrounding pixels, and to express it in a pseudo halftone. . Print data is formed by the binarization processing in the binarization processing unit 14. The print data is stored in the print buffer memory 15 at the subsequent stage. The print data correction processing unit 22 performs correction processing such as print dot size on the print data in the print data buffer memory 15. This correction processing data is again stored in the print data buffer memory 15.

  The print control unit 16 takes in the print data in the print data buffer memory 15 and performs print control in the print unit 200 (see FIG. 4) based on the print data. The print output unit 17 outputs the control data from the print control unit 16 to the print unit 200.

  The RGB conversion processing unit 19 performs RGB (R: red) on binary data (CMY binary data) obtained by omitting black (K) data from the print data (CMYK binary data) in the print data buffer memory 15. , G: green, B: blue) data. This RGB conversion processing is shown by an arithmetic expression shown in FIG. 2, for example. That is, R = (1-C) * NBITMAX, G = (1-M) * NBITMAX, and B = (1-Y) * NBITMAX. Here, “*” indicates multiplication. “NBITMAX” is not particularly limited, but is 8 bits (255). By omitting the data about black (K), the RGB conversion process can be simplified.

  The display controller 20 performs display control for displaying the data converted by the RGB conversion processing unit 19 on the display unit 300 (see FIG. 4). The monitor output unit 21 outputs control data from the display controller 20 to the display unit 300.

  According to the above example, the following operational effects can be obtained.

(1) Since the print data in the buffer memory 15 is converted into RGB data by the RGB conversion processing unit, and the image display on the display unit 300 is performed based on the RGB data, the image display on the display unit 300 is performed. Is binarized in the same manner as an image actually printed by the printing unit 200, and thus is closer to an actually printed image than when the image is expressed in grayscale. .
To the print control unit 16. Print supplied to the print control unit 16 (2) The image display of (1) makes it easy to grasp the print image.

  (3) By sharing the single print data buffer memory 15 between the print control unit 16 and the RGB conversion processing unit 19, an increase in the scale of hardware can be suppressed.

  (4) Since the print control unit 16 and the RGB conversion processing unit 19 share the single print data buffer memory 15, the resolution conversion processing unit 23 stores the print data in the print data buffer memory 15. Only for the resolution conversion processing, the processing result can be reflected in both the printing result in the printing unit 200 and the display result in the display unit 300.

  Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a resolution conversion processing unit 23 that performs print data resolution conversion processing on print data in the print data buffer memory 15 can be provided. This resolution conversion processing result is reflected in both the printing result in the printing unit 200 and the display result in the display unit 300.

  In the above example, the RGB conversion processing unit 19 applies binary data (CMY binary data) obtained by omitting black (K) data from the print data (CMYK binary data) in the print data buffer memory 15. Although the conversion processing has been described, the RGB conversion processing unit 19 may perform the conversion processing on binary data (CMYK binary data) that does not omit the data on black (K). In this case, the RGB conversion processing unit 19 takes time for the conversion process, but the RGB conversion accuracy can be improved.

  In the above description, the invention made mainly by the inventor has been described with respect to an image processing apparatus mounted on a printer which is a field of use as a background. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various image processing apparatuses Can be widely applied to.

  The present invention can be applied on condition that at least a binarization processing unit is included.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention. It is explanatory drawing of the RGB conversion process performed with the said image processing apparatus. It is another example block diagram of the image processing apparatus. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a printer including the image processing apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

10 ROM
11 CPU
12 RAM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 External interface 14 Binary processing part 15 Print data buffer memory 16 Print control part 17 Print output part 18 Display processing system 19 RGB conversion process part 20 Display controller 21 Monitor output part 22 Print data correction process part 23 Resolution conversion process Part

Claims (5)

A binarization processing unit for forming print data by binarizing the input data;
A buffer memory capable of storing the formed print data;
An image processing apparatus including a print control unit that enables print control according to print data in the buffer memory,
An RGB conversion processing unit capable of converting print data in the buffer memory into RGB data;
An image processing apparatus comprising: a display controller that enables display control according to RGB data obtained by the RGB conversion processing unit. The binarization processing unit binarizes the input CMYK data to form binary print data for each of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the RGB conversion processing unit performs RGB conversion by omitting black data in the binary print data. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a print data correction processing unit configured to perform a correction process of the print data before the print control and the RGB conversion process. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a resolution conversion processing unit for performing resolution conversion processing of the print data before the print control and the RGB conversion processing. 5. A printer comprising: the image processing apparatus according to claim 3; a printing unit that is print-controlled by the print control unit; and a display unit that is display-controlled by the display controller.

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