JP2007036941A - Image processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a function for correcting the position deviation of a main scanning line while reducing a memory capacity for correcting position deviation. <P>SOLUTION: An image processing apparatus is provided with a scanner 1 having first, second and third imaging devices for reading the color image of each BGG and a data correcting means 3 for correcting the position deviation of the main scanning line of the read image data of the BGR. The data correcting means 3 is provided with a large capacity image storage part 33 in which first and second storage regions 33a and 33b are set, small capacity buffers 322 to 324 set for each color and a memory control part 32. Image data received from the scanner 1 are temporarily stored in the first storage region 33a, and when the image in each color are individually read, different addresses corresponding to the position deviation are designated and read for each color, and the read image data are stored in buffers 322 to 324, and the corrected data are stored in the second storage region 33b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a first imaging device that reads each color image of the first color, the second color, and the third color, a second imaging device, a reading device that includes the third imaging device, a read first color, The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus having data correction means for correcting a positional shift of a corresponding main scanning line of image data of two colors and a third color.

A conventional image processing apparatus reads a frame image on a developed negative film with a film scanner (reading apparatus), and transmits the read image data to an information processing unit for image processing. Here, as a configuration of the reading device, there are a single plate type and a three plate type (see Non-Patent Document 1 below), and the present invention relates to a three-plate type film scanner, which uses blue (first) to read a color image. (Color) reading image sensor, green (second color) image sensor, and red (third color) image sensor (infrared light image for noise correction) It may further comprise an image sensor for reading data). In this way, independent image sensors (CCDs) are installed corresponding to the three colors. However, due to a physical arrangement error of each image sensor, the corresponding main scanning line is displaced in the sub-scanning direction. It will occur. For this reason, the coordinates of the blue pixel data, green pixel data, and red pixel data constituting one pixel data are different, and thus a correct image cannot be configured. Therefore, means for electronically correcting such positional deviation is provided. Note that the amount of positional deviation can be obtained by a predetermined method as to how many lines are displaced.

  First, a conventional positional deviation correction method will be described with reference to FIG. The description will be given as an example of acquiring image data of four colors B, G, R, and IR. As shown in FIG. 8A, an interface substrate 103 is provided between the film scanner 101 and the information processing unit 102. The interface substrate 103 includes a data output speed from the film scanner 101 and an information processing unit. Since the data reception speed of 102 is different, SDRAM (corresponding to a large-capacity image storage unit) is used because of the necessity of temporarily storing data.

  Then, as a means for correcting the positional deviation amount, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), on the interface substrate 103, the image data of each of the four colors is received from the film scanner 101 by the data receiving unit, and each color is separately received. The data is stored in a provided FIFO (first in first out) memory, and the main scanning lines corresponding to the corresponding color are read out and deleted according to the amount of positional deviation. ) Image data of four colors is read out simultaneously from the four FIFO memories. The image data read from the FIFO memory is image data in a state in which the positional deviation is corrected, and is transmitted to the memory controller 103a.

  As shown in FIG. 8C, the memory controller 103a includes a small-capacity FIFO buffer, through which the corrected image data is burst transferred to the SDRAM and stored. If there is a transmission request for image data from the information processing unit 102, the image data is transferred from the SDRAM to another small-capacity FIFO buffer, and then transmitted to the information processing unit 102 via the interface unit.

Takeo Hiroo “Introduction to CCD Camera Technology”, Corona Publishing, August 20, 1998, pp. 105-111

In order to correct the positional deviation of the main scanning line, four FIFO memories are required. Each of these four FIFO memories needs a capacity for reading a plurality of main scanning lines (for example, 10 lines) in order to correct a positional shift, for example, about 2 megabytes. It was.

  However, the interface substrate 103 uses a large-capacity SDRAM separately from the misalignment correction FIFO memory, and it is possible to use two types of memories, that is, a FIFO memory having a capacity for a plurality of lines for each color and an SDRAM. It can be said that the interface substrate 103 has an excessive memory configuration.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus having a function of correcting a positional shift of a main scanning line while reducing a memory capacity for correcting the positional shift.

In order to solve the above problems, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a first image sensor, a second image sensor, and a third image sensor that read at least each color image of a first color, a second color, and a third color. A reader;
An image processing apparatus comprising: a data correction unit that corrects a positional shift of a corresponding main scanning line of the read first color, second color, and third color image data;
The data correction means includes a large-capacity image storage unit in which a first storage area and a second storage area are set,
A small-capacity image storage unit set for each color capable of storing image data for at least one pixel;
A memory control unit that performs read / write control of image data in the storage unit,
The memory control unit temporarily stores the image data received from the reading device in the first storage area, and then reads out the image data of each color by designating different addresses corresponding to the positional deviation for each color. The read-out image data is stored in the small-capacity image storage unit, and then the image data whose positional deviation is corrected is stored in the second storage area. It is.

  The operation and effect of the image processing apparatus having this configuration will be described. First, the storage area of the large-capacity image storage unit is divided into at least a first storage area and a second storage area. In the first storage area, the image data of each color read by the reading device is stored in a state where the positional deviation is not corrected. The second storage area stores image data in a state where the positional deviation is corrected. In addition to the large-capacity image storage unit, a small-capacity image storage unit is provided for each color, and it is only necessary to have a capacity capable of storing image data for at least one pixel.

  The memory control unit has a function of controlling the writing and reading of image data to the large-capacity image storage unit and the small-capacity image storage unit, and corrects misalignment when reading the image data stored in the first storage area. It is read at a possible timing and stored in the small-capacity image storage unit. That is, when individually reading out the image data of each color, different addresses are designated corresponding to the amount of positional deviation. As a result, the image data can be read in a state in which the positional deviation is corrected at the time of reading the image data. Since the positional deviation is corrected at the time when the read image data is stored in the small-capacity image storage unit, the corrected image data is stored in the second storage area thereafter.

  The large-capacity image storage unit corresponds to the SDRAM of FIG. 8 described in the prior art, and is a storage unit that is originally necessary, so that a part of the storage area of the storage unit is secured for the purpose of correction. There is no need for new storage capacity. Also, by controlling the readout timing, image data is transferred from the first storage area to the small-capacity image storage unit. The capacity of the small-capacity image storage unit is theoretically equivalent to one pixel for each color. Any image data can be stored. Therefore, a capacity corresponding to 10 main scanning lines is not required unlike the conventional FIFO memory. As a result, it is possible to provide an image processing apparatus having a function of correcting the positional deviation of the main scanning line while reducing the memory capacity for correcting the positional deviation.

  In the present invention, at least three image sensors are provided, and for example, the image sensor is composed of three image sensors for reading blue, green, and red image data. May be provided, and the number of image sensors is not limited to three.

  In the present invention, an address counter for each color provided for image data of each color in the first storage area is provided, and the initial value of this address counter is made different according to the amount of positional deviation. Is preferred.

  An address counter is provided for each color, and the initial value of the address counter is set corresponding to the amount of positional deviation. Accordingly, image data (pixel data of each color) at different addresses can be read out at the same timing, and can be stored in the small-capacity image storage unit in a state where the positional deviation is corrected.

  In the present invention, the memory control unit stores image data for a color having a maximum positional deviation amount among the image data of at least the first color, the second color, and the third color. It is preferable to be configured to store directly in the unit.

  According to the above configuration, it is not necessary to store and read out the image data of all the colors in the first storage area, and the image data having the largest positional deviation amount is directly connected to the image without passing through the first storage area. The data can be stored in a small-capacity image storage unit for colors corresponding to the data. Therefore, with respect to the image data, the process of reading from the first storage area can be omitted, and the processing time for positional deviation correction can be shortened.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the memory control unit is configured to simultaneously read image data having the same positional deviation amount among the data of at least the first color, the second color, and the third color.

  As a result, it is possible to shorten the time for reading the image data from the first storage area.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
<Configuration of image processing apparatus>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing configurations of a film scanner 1 (corresponding to a reading device), an information processing unit 2 and a data correction unit 3 of an image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. The image processing apparatus can create a photographic print based on the image data read by the film scanner 1 or write it on a storage medium such as a CD-R.

  The film scanner 1 usually reads color image data of each color of blue (first color), green (second color), and red (third color) from the developed negative film. Also, image data of infrared light (fourth color) can be read. Infrared light is provided to detect scratches and the like present on the negative film, and based on the detection result, the scratches are erased by electronic processing. Such scratch-removing techniques are known. The film scanner 1 has, for example, an image sensor such as a CCD or CMOS, and in the case of the present invention, an image sensor is provided for each color. That is, four image sensors are provided for blue, green, red, and infrared reading.

  These four image sensors are attached to an appropriate structure, but because there are installation errors and component errors between the image sensors, when image data is captured from each of the four image sensors, The main scanning line to be handled is captured in a state where the positional deviation occurs in the sub-scanning direction. Therefore, in order to acquire correct image data, it is necessary to electronically correct this positional deviation. This point will be described later.

  The information processing unit 2 receives image data of each color read by the film scanner 1 via a data correction unit 3 described later, and appropriately performs image processing, data processing, and the like on the data. The information processing unit 2 includes hardware resources such as a CPU and a memory (not shown) and software. The information processing unit 2 generates print image data for creating a photo print based on image data, for example, but since it is a known technique, detailed description thereof is omitted.

The data correction unit 3 includes a large-capacity image storage unit 33 for storing each of blue, green, red, and infrared image data. In the large-capacity image storage unit 33, a first storage area 33a and a second storage area 33b are set, and the positional deviation of the image data acquired by the film scanner 1 is not corrected in the first storage area 33a. Stored. The storage capacity of the first storage area 33a may be the same as that of the FIFO memory shown in FIG. 8B of the prior art, and the ratio of the large-capacity image storage unit 33 to the total storage capacity may be small. Further, the large-capacity image storage unit 33 is an image storage unit that is originally necessary, and a part of the storage area is used for correction of misalignment, so that no additional memory is added.

  The second storage area 33b stores the image data after the positional deviation is corrected, and has a considerably larger storage capacity than the first storage area 33a.

  As shown in FIG. 1C, blue, green, red, and infrared small-capacity FIFO buffers 321, 322, 323, and 324 (corresponding to small-capacity image storage units) corresponding to the image data of each color. Is provided. The image data read from the first storage area 33a is stored in the small-capacity FIFO buffers 321 to 324 in a state in which the positional deviation is corrected, and then each image data is stored in the large-capacity image storage unit 33. 2 Control to store in the storage area 33b. When it is stored in the second storage area 33b, it is stored in a state where the positional deviation is corrected.

  Each of the small-capacity FIFO buffers 321 to 324 is theoretically only required to have a storage capacity for one pixel, but in this embodiment, in order to perform burst transfer (for example, transfer 32-bit image data). It is sufficient that the storage capacity is at least 32 bits. Therefore, the storage capacity can be considerably reduced as compared with the case where the FIFO shown in FIG.

  In addition, the data correction unit 3 receives the image data of each color from the film scanner 1 and the image to the storage unit (memory) so as to correct the positional deviation of the main scanning line of the image data of each color. And a memory control unit 32 that controls reading and writing of data.

  The memory control unit 32 includes a reception buffer 32a that stores image data of each of the first color, the second color, and the third color received by the data reception unit 31, a control circuit 32c, and the first color and second color described above. The color, third color, and fourth color small-capacity FIFO buffers 321 to 324 and the transmission buffer 32b are provided. Note that the memory control unit 32 includes a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a custom IC. The reception buffer 32a and the transmission buffer 32b can also be constituted by a small-capacity FIFO buffer (capacity is about several tens of kilobytes).

  The large-capacity image storage unit 33 includes, for example, an SDRAM, a DDR-SDRAM (Double Data Rate SDRAM), or the like. Since the DDR-SDRAM has improved data transfer efficiency over the SDRAM, there is an effect of shortening the processing time.

  The data correction unit 3 can arrange the above-described components on an arbitrary substrate, and can be configured as an interface substrate between the film scanner 1 and the information processing unit 2. The bus between the memory control unit 32 and the large-capacity image storage unit 33 employs a 64-bit bus to improve the data transfer speed.

<Specific operation of data correction means>
FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of the control circuit 32c. As shown in FIG. 2, the control circuit 32 c includes various address counters (hereinafter, the address counter is referred to as “AD counter”), a selector, an interface circuit unit with the large capacity buffer 33, and an address control unit.

  The various AD counters are an AD counter for writing to the first storage area 33a, an AD counter for reading image data of blue, green, red, and infrared light from the first storage area 33a, and writing to the second storage area 33b. AD counter for reading, and AD counter for reading from the second storage area 33b.

  The address control unit generates a count-up signal for counting up the addresses of a plurality of address counters, a means for controlling the selector path selection, and a signal for writing data to or reading data from the large-capacity buffer 33. And a control means for storing data in various small-capacity buffers, transmission / reception, and the like.

  In the present embodiment, the large-capacity image storage unit 33 is configured by SDRAM. When the capacity of the SDRAM is 512 megabytes and the bus width is 8 bytes, the address space is from address 0 to address 0x3FFFFFF. Of these, 2 megabytes are allocated to the first storage area 33a. As specific address space allocation, the second storage area 33b is from address 0 to 0x3FBFFFF, and the first storage area 33a is from address 0x3FC0000 to address 0x3FFFFFF.

  The AD counter for writing to or reading from the first storage area 33a is an 18-bit counter, and 0xFF is added as a fixed value at the most significant position, so that the counter configuration is from address 0x3FC0000 to address 0x3FFFFFF. As shown in FIG. 2, read AD counters are provided separately for blue, green, red, and infrared light.

  The AD counter for writing to or reading from the second storage area 33b is a 26-bit counter, and is configured to return to address 0 when address 0x3FBFFFF is counted up.

  Further, the amount of positional deviation of the main scanning line between the image sensors is measured in advance. Here, red is used as a reference (the amount of deviation is zero), blue is the amount of positional deviation for four lines, and green and red. Outside light is the amount of positional deviation for two lines. Therefore, the blue positional deviation amount is the maximum positional deviation amount.

  In accordance with the amount of positional deviation, the head address (initial value) of the AD counter for reading red, green and infrared light image data is set in advance. Here, for the sake of explanation, assuming that the number of pixels for one main scanning line is 100, red AD [address 0], green AD [address 200], infrared AD [address 200], and blue AD [address 400]. Set to. In this manner, the initial value of the read AD counter for each color is set according to the amount of positional deviation.

  Hereinafter, a specific correction of the positional deviation of the main scanning line will be described. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing that each color image data read by the film scanner 1 is misaligned with respect to the main scanning line. As shown in FIG. 3, B0 represents a blue data group in the 0th row of main scanning, and B (N) represents a data group in the Nth row. G represents green, R represents red, and IR represents infrared data. The upper side of FIG. 3 shows a state where the positional deviation is not corrected, and the lower side of FIG. 3 conceptually shows a state after the positional deviation is corrected.

  The color image data read simultaneously when the CCD is scanned in the main scanning direction is not the original image data on the same main scanning line due to errors in the physical arrangement of the image sensors. Here, it is assumed that the amount of positional deviation of the blue main scanning line is 4 lines, green and infrared are 2 lines, and red is 0. Therefore, a data group indicated by a thick frame is an effective data area. The fourth row of blue, the second row of green / infrared, and the zeroth row of red are the main scanning lines that should correspond originally.

  4 to 7 are diagrams for explaining a specific flow of image data. First, the data group of the 0th row of main scanning is transmitted from the film scanner 1 and received by the data receiving unit 31. Next, the received image data group is received in the reception buffer 32a of the memory control unit 32, and when a predetermined amount (32 bits in this embodiment) of image data is accumulated, the control unit of the control circuit 32c Then, the write AD counter in the first storage area 33a is requested to count up, and thereby the AD counter is counted up.

  Then, the head address value is selected by the selector so as to be transmitted to the SDRAM 33, the row address of the address value is transmitted together with the operation start signal of the SDRAM 33 from the interface circuit unit, and the column address of the address value is then transmitted together with the write signal. Sent.

  Then, the image data is read from the reception buffer 32a, burst-transferred, and the image data is written to the specified address in the first storage area 33a. Here, B [0, 0] is blue image data and indicates the 0th pixel in the 0th row. As shown in FIG. 4, data from the 0th row of the main scanning line is sequentially written in the first storage area 33a. Note that M pieces of image data are read per line. FIG. 4 shows a state in which image data of the second pixel in the second row is stored.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when storing the data of the fourth row from the reception buffer 32a, the control unit stores the image data in the first storage area 33a and the blue image data (B [4,0]...) Are directly transferred to the blue small-capacity FIFO buffer 321.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the red data (R [0, 0]...) From the 0th row is burst transferred to the red small-capacity FIFO buffer 323. More specifically, the control unit requests the red data read AD counter (starting at address 0) to count up, counts it up, and selects that address value to be sent to the SDRAM 33 by the selector. Then, the row address of the address value is transmitted from the interface circuit unit together with the operation start signal. Thereafter, the column address of the address value is transmitted together with the read signal. Then, the red data (R [0,0]... R [0,31]) stored in the address space indicated by the address value is continuously read out for 32 pixels, and the red small-capacity FIFO buffer 323 is read out. To burst transfer.

  Further, the green data (G [2, 0]...) From the second row is burst transferred to the small capacity FIFO buffer 322 for green. Similarly, the infrared image data (IR [2, 0]...) From the second row is burst transferred to the infrared small-capacity FIFO buffer 323. Here, since the amount of positional deviation is the same as for two lines, the green image data to be read and the infrared image data are stored at the same address (address 200). These AD counters for reading (the top address is 200) are counted up, and one or both of the top address values are selected by the selector so as to be transferred to the small-capacity FIFO buffers 322 and 324. That is, the green image data and the infrared image data having the same address value are simultaneously burst transferred. Therefore, the number of burst transfers can be reduced, and the data transfer efficiency is improved.

  Since the blue image data has already been transferred directly to the blue small-capacity FIFO buffer 321, there is no need to transfer it from the first storage area 33a.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the image data with the positional deviation corrected is stored in each small-capacity FIFO buffer 321, 322, 323, 324. That is, continuous image data after B [4,0] is stored in the blue small-capacity FIFO buffer 321, and continuous image data after G [2,0] is stored in the small-capacity FIFO buffer f322 for green. The red small-capacity FIFO buffer 323 stores consecutive image data after R [0,0], and the IR small-capacity FIFO 324 stores continuous image data after IR [2,0]. It will be done.

  When a predetermined amount of image data is stored, for example, when at least 32-bit data is stored, the address control unit bursts from each small-capacity FIFO buffer 321, 322, 323, 324 to the second storage area 33b. Forward. Similarly to the above, the address control unit counts up the write AD counter in the second storage area 33b, selects the path with the selector, and controls to write to a predetermined address value. Then, the image data is sequentially stored.

  Then, when receiving a data transfer request from the information processing unit 2, the address control unit controls the image data to be read from the second storage area 33 b and transferred to the information processing unit 2.

  In the above embodiment, for the sake of explanation, the specific positional deviation amount of the main scanning line is set as described above, but it goes without saying that the numerical value varies depending on the arrangement state of the image sensor.

  Further, although the green and infrared have the same positional shift amount, the present invention is not limited to this, and red and blue, red and green, or blue and green data may have the same positional shift amount. In this case, as described above, both the data can be transferred simultaneously, and the transfer efficiency can be improved.

<Another embodiment>
In the present embodiment, the image data of infrared light is also read and the positional deviation is corrected. However, a reader that does not have an image sensor for reading image data of infrared light may be used.

  In the present embodiment, the image data of the color with the largest positional deviation amount is directly stored in the small-capacity FIFO buffer corresponding to the image data. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the first storage is temporarily performed. After storing in the area 33a, the data may be read from the first storage area 33a and burst transferred to the small-capacity FIFO buffer. In such a case, if a DDR-SDRAM is used for the large-capacity image storage unit, transfer efficiency is good, which is a preferred embodiment over SDRAM.

  In this embodiment, the data transfer is performed by burst transfer. In this case, the data transfer amount per time can be set as appropriate. Further, it is not always necessary to perform the burst transfer.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a read address counter is provided for each color. Instead, a single read address counter is provided, and the read timing is changed in accordance with the amount of positional deviation, whereby each color is changed. You may comprise so that data may be taken out.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the data correction means in embodiment The block diagram which shows the structure of the control circuit part in embodiment The figure which shows notionally the position shift of the main scanning line in embodiment The figure which shows the flow of the data in embodiment The figure which shows the flow of the data in embodiment The figure which shows the flow of the data in embodiment The figure which shows the flow of the data in embodiment The figure which shows the example of the board | substrate for interfaces which is the conventional data correction means

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Film scanner 2 Information processing part 3 Data correction means 31 Data receiving part 32 Memory control part 32a Reception buffer 32b Transmission buffer 32c Control circuit 321 Small capacity FIFO buffer for blue 322 Small capacity FIFO buffer for green 323 Small capacity FIFO buffer for red 324 Infrared small-capacity FIFO buffer 33 Large-capacity image storage unit 33a First storage area 33b Second storage area 34 Interface unit

Claims (3)

A reader having at least a first image sensor, a second image sensor, and a third image sensor for reading color images of at least the first color, the second color, and the third color;
An image processing apparatus comprising: a data correction unit that corrects a positional shift of a corresponding main scanning line of the read first color, second color, and third color image data;
The data correction means includes a large-capacity image storage unit in which a first storage area and a second storage area are set,
A small-capacity image storage unit set for each color capable of storing image data for at least one pixel;
A memory control unit that performs read / write control of image data in the storage unit,
The memory control unit temporarily stores the image data received from the reading device in the first storage area, and then reads out the image data of each color by designating different addresses corresponding to the positional deviation for each color. An image characterized in that after the read image data is stored in the small-capacity image storage unit, the image data with the positional deviation corrected is stored in the second storage area. Processing equipment.   An address counter for each color provided for image data of each color in the first storage area is provided, and an initial value of this address counter is made different according to the positional deviation amount. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1.   The memory control unit directly stores the image data for the color with the largest positional deviation amount among the image data of at least the first color, the second color, and the third color in the small-capacity image storage unit corresponding to the color. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is configured as described above.

Images