JP2007133756A - Image forming apparatus and program therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To change image processing while designating an optional area within the same preview as an actually formed image in an image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: Document data for application formation is converted into intermediate data dependent from the kind of application by a virtual printer driver 2 and stored by an intermediate data storage part 8. A rasterization part 9 rasterizes this into document image data, which is then stored by a document image storage part 10. An image processing part 11 processes the data into output image data, which is then stored by an output image storage part 12. A display means 6 compares the output image with the document image, and when a correction point and image processing are designated by an operation means 5, the corresponding part within the document image data is image-processed in a correction condition, and the corresponding part within the output image data is rewritten and redisplayed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  According to the present invention, an image formation preview can be performed in a display state similar to an image actually formed based on an output image provided for image formation, and an arbitrary portion or area ( The image processing can be arbitrarily changed by specifying the target), so that the desired state can be given to the image processing of the output image and the actual state when this is output for image formation can be confirmed The present invention relates to a forming apparatus and an image forming program for causing a computer to realize such a function.

  When image data is supplied from an application and image formation is performed by a printer, an image to be formed using the preview function of the application in order to prevent mistakes such as the color of the formed image being different from what was assumed May be confirmed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228688 converts rasterized halftone data into a video signal again to perform a preview, and performs partial color correction based on the halftone data to output to a printer.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-234529

  However, the above-described preview function of the conventional image forming apparatus or its application is performed using output data to the display device. Strictly speaking, the output data to the display device is output image data to the printer device. It was different. Therefore, rasterized output image data for image formation, that is, the bitmap itself handled by the printer device cannot be directly confirmed on the preview screen.

  For example, when a full-color original image is formed with a printer device using process ink, the RGB image data output to the display device is different in data format from the CMYK image data after image processing output to the printer device. However, the format is not suitable for high-resolution output for printing, and even if it is previewed on a display, it is not possible to obtain a format suitable for prior confirmation of a formed image.

  In particular, in the case where a full-color original image is output in two colors using a pseudo color by a printer device, the above preview is not helpful at all. In addition, some of the conventional image forming apparatuses or preview functions of the application have a function of simply checking layout such as imposition, and in this case, it is impossible to check a strict output image.

  Further, the printer driver function in the conventional image forming apparatus or its application can change settings for image processing such as rasterization, tone correction, color separation, binarization processing, etc., but the changed setting is document data. Since the system was applied to the whole, it was impossible to partially change the image processing (such as changing the setting of the image processing) for each object or page.

  In the method described in Patent Document 1, it is considered difficult to perform strict color correction because editing is performed on halftone data after rasterization. Further, there has been a problem that image processing such as color tone correction, color separation, and binarization processing for full color data and gray scale data cannot be changed (setting change for image processing, etc.).

  The present invention has been made to solve the problems in the conventional image forming apparatus and the like as described above, and can be previewed and displayed in the same display state as an actually formed image. Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus and an image forming program capable of arbitrarily changing image processing by designating an arbitrary portion or region (target) in the preview screen.

An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 is provided.
A virtual printer driver that converts document data created by the application into intermediate data independent of the application type;
Rasterizing means for rasterizing the intermediate data to create a document image;
Image processing means for performing image processing on the document image to create an output image;
Display means for displaying at least the output image;
Object selection means for selecting an arbitrary target in the image displayed by the display means;
Image processing designating means for designating arbitrary image processing for the object;
The image processing unit is caused to perform the image processing specified by the image processing specifying unit on the portion corresponding to the target in the original image or the intermediate data, and the portion corresponding to the target of the output image is rewritten. Control means;
It is characterized by comprising.

An image forming apparatus according to claim 2 is provided.
A virtual printer driver that converts document data created by the application into intermediate data independent of the application type;
Rasterizing means for rasterizing the intermediate data to create a document image;
A document image storage unit for storing the document image;
Image processing means for performing image processing on the document image in the document image storage unit to create an output image;
An output image storage unit for storing the output image;
Display means for displaying at least the output image;
Object selection means for selecting an arbitrary target in the image displayed by the display means;
Image processing designating means for designating arbitrary image processing for the object;
The image processing means causes the image processing means to perform image processing designated by the image processing designation means on the original image stored in the original image storage unit or a portion corresponding to the target in the intermediate data, and the output Control means for rewriting a portion corresponding to the object of the output image stored in an image storage unit;
It is characterized by comprising.

The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 is the image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The image processing means is a printer driver provided separately from the image forming apparatus.

The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 is the image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The object selecting means can select according to attributes of a plurality of types of data included in the intermediate data.

The image forming program according to claim 5 is:
On the computer,
A virtual printer driver function that converts document data created by an application into intermediate data independent of the application type;
A rasterizing function for rasterizing the intermediate data to create a document image;
An image processing function for creating an output image by performing image processing on the document image;
A display output function for displaying at least the output image on an external display means;
An object selection function for selecting an arbitrary target in the image displayed by the display means;
An image processing designation function for designating arbitrary image processing for the target;
The image processing function is caused to perform image processing designated by the image processing designation function on a portion corresponding to the target in the original image or the intermediate data, and the portion corresponding to the target of the output image is rewritten. Image processing change function,
It is characterized by being a program for realizing.

  According to the image forming apparatus or the image forming program of the present invention, an image formation preview can be performed based on an output image provided for image formation, and an arbitrary target in the displayed preview screen can be designated. Thus, the image processing can be changed for the corresponding portion of the intermediate data or the document image data. For this reason, the actual state when the image is formed can be confirmed on the preview screen, and a desired change can be given to the image processing for obtaining the output image according to the result. You can check it in the preview according to the status.

  Furthermore, if a printer driver provided separately as an image processing unit is used as an image processing unit, an existing apparatus can be used as the image processing unit, so that development and production costs can be reduced.

  Further, if the object selection means can select a plurality of types of data in the intermediate data by attribute, the work of specifying the target of image processing change becomes easier, and only the necessary target image processing can be quickly changed. be able to.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
1. First Embodiment A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus of this embodiment or the functional configuration of an image forming program, and FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing in detail the main part of FIG. These are the flowcharts which show the operation | movement procedure in the program of this Example thru | or the program of this example.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus 1 has a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC) as control means, and the PC forms an image by the image forming program stored in the PC in advance. The apparatus functions as the apparatus 1 and receives data from the operation means of the PC to process data, and controls display means and image forming means that constitute a part of the image forming apparatus 1. This program is stored in a recording medium such as a hard disk of a PC or a CD.

  On the PC, an application 2 for creating a document, and data sent from the application 2 are converted into intermediate data independent of the application 2 (data having a scalable layer structure) and output, and a rasterizer 4 at the next stage is output. A virtual printer driver 3 to be activated and a rasterizer 4 which is activated by the virtual printer driver 3 and rasterizes intermediate data from the virtual printer driver 3 to execute a preview function and an image processing function are introduced.

  Around the PC, there are operating means 5 such as a keyboard and a mouse provided for operating the PC, a display means 6 such as a CRT for displaying information from the PC, a laser printer, an ink jet printer, etc. A printer 7 (image forming means) is connected.

  FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the rasterizer 4 connected to the virtual printer driver 3. In the rasterizer 4, the intermediate data sent from the virtual printer driver 3 is stored in the intermediate data storage unit 8. This intermediate data is rasterized by the rasterizing unit 9 (rasterizing means) to become document image data, and is stored and held in the document image storage unit 10. The document image data is subjected to image processing such as color tone correction, color separation, and binarization processing by the image processing unit 11, output as output image data, and stored in the output image storage unit 12.

  In this example, the rasterized document image data stored in the document image storage unit 10 is stored as original data, and is stored until a series of image processing adjustment operations described in detail later ends. When changing the image processing, only a necessary part in the data is copied and used.

The document image data from the document image storage unit 10 is configured to be displayed on the display unit 6, and the output image data from the output image storage unit 12 is displayed on the display unit 6 in the same manner as the document image data. It is configured so that it can be displayed, and is configured to be printed out by the printer 7. The operation means 5 for inputting an operation signal to the rasterizer 4 is a means or a part of a program for giving an operator's instruction for controlling each part by the mouse or the like. Specifically, the operation means 5 is displayed on the display means 6. An arbitrary range in the displayed image is selected as a target for image processing change (for example, when the displayed image includes character areas A and B and object image areas C, D, and E, for example, a character area A can also be selected, and the object image area C can also be selected.) It has a function as an object selection means and an image processing designation means for designating arbitrary image processing for this target.

  The rasterizer 4 has a control unit 20 as control means. The control unit 20 is constituted by a CPU or the like in a PC, for example, and controls each unit of the rasterizer. The control unit 20 processes instructions / information input from the operation unit 5 and controls the virtual printer driver 3 and the application 2 in an integrated manner, thereby controlling each unit organically while controlling the display unit 6 and the printer 7. To perform operations such as image preview, target designation on the screen, and image processing change.

  FIG. 3 shows the flow of processing in this apparatus and this program. First, the virtual printer driver 3 is selected by an application by a user's operation using the operation means 5 and a printing instruction is given (step 1, hereinafter shown as S1). The virtual printer driver 3 converts the document data into intermediate data independent of the application and outputs it (S2), and stores it in the intermediate data storage unit 8.

  After saving the intermediate data, the virtual printer driver 3 activates the rasterizer 4 (S3). As the intermediate data, it is desirable to use data including vector information such as Windows (registered trademark) Enhanced Metafile (EMF), Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), Adobe PostScript (PS) (registered trademark). There is no problem as long as the data includes color information of a scalable layer structure even in other formats.

  The activated rasterizer 4 reads the intermediate data created at the time of activation (S4), the rasterizing unit 9 rasterizes the intermediate data to create document image data, and the document image storage unit 10 stores the document image data. Store / retain as original data. For example, when the intermediate data is the PS, the internal data is composed of vectors, bitmaps, and text data, and is expanded into bitmaps (eg, RGB multi-value data) by the rasterization. Since EMF (registered trademark) is data composed of GDI drawing commands, if the intermediate data is EMF data, the original data corresponding to the intermediate data is displayed on the display means by playing (executing) the EMF data in order. It is possible to display, but if the intermediate data is other data, the data is converted into a GDI drawing command and displayed on the display means.

The image processing unit 11 performs image processing such as color tone correction, color separation, and binarization processing similar to those of a normal print driver on a portion corresponding to the entire page of the created document image data, and outputs image data. Create (S5). As output image data, binary data for two colors (such as when a full-color original image is pseudo-color printed with two colors) can be considered. This output image data is stored in the output image storage unit 12. As parameters for image processing, default values of image processing of the rasterizer 4 are used, and the default values are set in the same manner as image processing parameters of a normal print driver.
Typical printer driver image processing settings include, for example, simple binarization processing and fine character emphasis processing for text data, halftone processing for draw data, and contrast enhancement processing and error diffusion processing for image data. Set. Further, the image processing parameter is a parameter necessary for executing image processing (for example, halftone dot angle, halftone dot number, halftone dot shape in halftone dot processing).

  The document image data stored in the document image storage unit 10 and the output image data stored in the output image storage unit 12 are output to the display means 6 as a preview before being output to the printer 7 (S6).

  The operator compares and confirms the original image based on the original image data and the output image based on the output image data, and if there is no problem, issues an instruction for printing (S7, YES), outputs the output image data to the printer 7 and outputs it by the printer. An output image is formed (S8).

  As a result of visually comparing and comparing the images displayed on the display means 6, if it is determined that there is a region where the intended output image is not obtained, printing is not performed immediately (S7, NO), and the image processing is changed. Therefore, when the area is designated (S9, YES), at least one of the area of the original image image or the area of the output image image is selected on the display means 6 by the operation means 5 as the image processing adjustment target. (S10) Further, any necessary image processing is designated for the selected area (S11). Here, the image processing items whose parameters can be changed are any of the image processing, color correction, color separation, binarization processing, etc. performed in S5, as in the case of the normal print driver described above. Can do.

  When an area in an image to be changed (for example, object image area A), a type of image processing to be changed (for example, color correction), and parameters necessary for the image processing are specified, an intermediate file Only a portion corresponding to the area in the held document image data is extracted from the document image storage unit 10, and the control unit 20 performs image processing with parameters newly specified for the data of the portion by the image processing unit 11. (S12). A part of the newly processed image data is sent to the output image storage unit 12, and the control unit 20 updates the corresponding portion of the previous output image data in the output image storage unit 12 (writing). Frog).

  The display unit 6 displays the output image data updated by the control unit 20 again (S6), and the user confirms whether the intended output image is obtained using the operation unit 5. The above-described processing is repeated until an output image intended by the user is obtained.

  As described above, according to this example, a preview can be performed based on output image data provided for image formation, and an image in a state close to that when an image is actually formed by the printer 7 can be confirmed. According to the result, there is an effect that it is possible to arbitrarily change the image processing for the portion by designating an arbitrary target (area or data attribute) in the preview. The change of the image processing here is to change the content of the image processing to be performed on the target. For example, another color tone correction (for example, a parameter for color tone correction) is performed on the target that has been subjected to the predetermined color tone correction. For example).

  In addition, since the image processing change designated as described above is performed based on data before conversion to output image data (for example, RGB multi-value data), data after conversion to output image data (for example, CMYK 2) Compared to the case of using (value data), the data of higher gradation is used, and the image processing of the target to be corrected can be performed more strictly. For example, if the target image processing to be corrected is luminance correction, even if the original data is color, if the image processing results in a 1-bit black-and-white image, the luminance after processing is very rough. Although only correction is possible, according to this example, since data before being converted into output image data is subject to image processing change, very fine luminance correction or the like is possible.

  Then, the result of changing the image processing as described above for a specific portion in the image can be confirmed in a preview according to the state in which the image is actually formed.

  Also, when printing a full-color document with a relatively limited type of ink, such as stencil printing, for example, adjustment of image processing is very difficult to understand. It was necessary to make fine adjustments and actually perform printing several times to obtain a desired printing result by trial and error. However, according to this example, the output image is previewed by the output image data, and the image processing is adjusted only for the portion that needs to be adjusted with respect to the intermediate data before rasterization or the original image data after rasterization. The desired printing result can be easily obtained.

  In the example described above, for the purpose of comparison, in the preview, the image is displayed on the display means 6 by both the original image data and the output image data. However, the preview of the image output to the printer 7 is used. Therefore, it is only necessary to display the output image data at least, and it is not always necessary to display the original image data. When the original image data is not displayed, the displayed output image is directly compared with the original image displayed by the application 2. It may be contrasted.

  In the example described above, since the data to which the image processing is applied is the data after rasterization held in the document image storage unit 10, the image processing can be performed immediately and the processing time can be shortened, but after the rasterization. The memory capacity for holding the data is required. On the other hand, it is also possible to employ a configuration in which intermediate data before rasterization is used as data for changing image processing. In this case, since the intermediate data is rasterized each time and image processing is performed, the processing takes some time, but only the data before rasterization needs to be held, so that a large memory capacity is not required.

  In the example described above, the specific area in the previewed output image is designated as a target. However, the object selection unit can select multiple types of data in the intermediate data by attribute (for example, text, draw, image). Etc.) can also be selected. As a result, it is easy to specify an image processing change target, and it is possible to quickly change only the setting of the necessary image processing.

  In the example described above, when the image displayed on the display unit 6 is visually recognized and compared, and it is determined that there is a region where an intended output image is not obtained, the region to be changed in image processing is determined. Although the image processing is changed by designating it, the above-described operation is not necessarily performed only for the purpose of correcting the defect of the image processing. For example, when a printing device that uses a plurality of inks such as a stencil printing device instead of the printer 7 and uses a plurality of colors is used, there is a difference in the finish of the printed image (printed material) depending on the color of the ink and the printing order. In some cases, the above function can be used as a simulation by changing the printing conditions. In addition, in order to grasp a finished image when a full-color original image is printed in two colors, the above-described function can be used to adjust the parameters and determine conditions by trial and error.

2. Second Embodiment FIG. 4 is a system configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus 1a of the second embodiment or the functional configuration of an image forming program. The same components as in the first embodiment are shown in FIG. The same or a letter with a letter suffix is attached and the description is omitted.

  The image processing unit 11a of the present example includes a plug-in module 13 that is a replaceable functional module that provides an image processing function. That is, a plug-in extension function is added to the image processing unit 11, and image processing functions such as color tone correction, color separation, and binarization processing that can be specified can be arbitrarily added or changed.

  According to the configuration of this example, it is possible to easily change or replace all image processing functions, and to upgrade to a higher-function version with the same function. In terms of software, the image processing function portion of the program may be unitized so that it can be easily exchanged and changed.

3. Third Embodiment FIG. 5 is a system configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus 1b of the third embodiment or the functional configuration of an image forming program. The same components as in the first embodiment are shown in FIG. The same or a letter with a letter suffix is attached and the description is omitted.

In the configuration of this example, the printer driver 14 provided as a separate body is used as the image processing means. That is, image processing functions such as color correction, color separation, and binarization processing of the external printer driver 14 can be used as the image processing unit. Here, since the external printer driver 14 outputs the data in a data format specific to the printer driver, the data is converted into the data format of the output image storage unit 12 and stored in the output image storage unit 12. In the figure, a PDL file 15 is a page description language, which means a command for controlling the printer 7, and includes the PS and the like.
In this example, image processing (for example, tone correction, color separation, etc.) is performed on the entire document data, an arbitrary target in the displayed image is selected, and image processing to be changed among the image processing ( For example, color correction, parameters necessary for color correction) are specified, and image processing specified for the target is performed (for example, color correction is performed using the specified parameters). The image processing to be specified may be image processing other than the image processing applied to the entire document data.

  According to the configuration of this example, the existing printer driver 14 provided as a separate external device can be used as the image processing means, so that there is an effect that the development and manufacturing costs of the present apparatus or program can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus of this embodiment or the functional configuration of an image forming program. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing in detail the main part of FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the apparatus of the present example or the operation procedure of the program of the present example. FIG. 4 is a system configuration diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment to the functional configuration of the image forming program. FIG. 5 is a system configuration diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment to the functional configuration of the image forming program.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a, 1b ... Image forming apparatus 2 ... Application 3 ... Virtual printer driver 4 ... Rasterizer as rasterizing means 5 ... Operation means 6 ... Display means 7 ... Printer 8 ... Intermediate data storage part 9 ... Rasterizing part as rasterizing means 10 Document image storage unit 11, 11a Image processing unit as image processing unit 12 Output image storage unit 13 Plug-in module as functional module 14 External printer driver as image processing unit 20 Control as control unit Part

Claims (5)

A virtual printer driver that converts document data created by the application into intermediate data independent of the application type;
Rasterizing means for rasterizing the intermediate data to create a document image;
Image processing means for performing image processing on the document image to create an output image;
Display means for displaying at least the output image;
Object selection means for selecting an arbitrary target in the image displayed by the display means;
Image processing designating means for designating arbitrary image processing for the object;
The image processing unit is caused to perform the image processing specified by the image processing specifying unit on the portion corresponding to the target in the original image or the intermediate data, and the portion corresponding to the target of the output image is rewritten. Control means;
An image forming apparatus comprising: A virtual printer driver that converts document data created by the application into intermediate data independent of the application type;
Rasterizing means for rasterizing the intermediate data to create a document image;
A document image storage unit for storing the document image;
Image processing means for performing image processing on the document image in the document image storage unit to create an output image;
An output image storage unit for storing the output image;
Display means for displaying at least the output image;
Object selection means for selecting an arbitrary target in the image displayed by the display means;
Image processing designating means for designating arbitrary image processing for the object;
The image processing means causes the image processing means to perform image processing designated by the image processing designation means on the original image stored in the original image storage unit or a portion corresponding to the target in the intermediate data, and the output Control means for rewriting a portion corresponding to the object of the output image stored in an image storage unit;
An image forming apparatus comprising: The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing unit is a printer driver provided separately from the image forming apparatus. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object selecting unit is capable of selecting according to attributes of a plurality of types of data included in the intermediate data. On the computer,
A virtual printer driver function that converts document data created by an application into intermediate data independent of the application type;
A rasterizing function for rasterizing the intermediate data to create a document image;
An image processing function for creating an output image by performing image processing on the document image;
A display output function for displaying at least the output image on an external display means;
An object selection function for selecting an arbitrary target in the image displayed by the display means;
An image processing designation function for designating arbitrary image processing for the target;
The image processing function is caused to perform image processing designated by the image processing designation function on a portion corresponding to the target in the document image or the intermediate data, and the portion corresponding to the target of the output image is rewritten. Image processing change function,
An image forming program for realizing the above.

Images