JP2010219686A - Image processing method, image processing device, program, and memory medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically create a suitable layout over each page of a content covering a plurality of pages. <P>SOLUTION: When arranging the content in an arranging area, the device creates the closest layout, for example, using FFDH (First-Fit Decreasing Height). In the created closest layout, if it occurs that a content is arranged over pages, the device solves a problem that the content is divided over pages by shifting blocks whose height is defined by a height of the content in a left end including the content, and have a width of the arranging area, to the next or succeeding pages. The layout of respective pages of a plurality of pages of content can be easily and automatically created by performing the processing in a block unit. Moreover, a number of pages does not increase even if the contents are shifted in a block, and it is possible to create the page layout with higher degree of freedom. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing method, an image processing apparatus, a program, and a storage medium that automatically generate a page layout of content.

  Conventionally, layout-related technologies have been researched and developed, and applied in various fields such as integrated circuit layout and clock layout. Such a layout technique can also be applied to a case where a plurality of contents composed of text and images are arranged on a sheet.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which each content data is associated with one rectangular area, and a layout is automatically determined in accordance with the size of each rectangular area in a document page. According to Patent Document 1, a rectangle corresponding to content data is arranged in a grid-like layout area, and thereafter, an overlap between contents is removed using an optimization algorithm or the like. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-260, further, the centering of contents can be performed by optimizing the layout based on the weight defined for each grid on the layout area.

  By the way, in the scene of determining the layout of, for example, a semiconductor circuit, it is very important how to perform the efficient arrangement, and various methods for that purpose have been studied. A similar method can also be applied to the paper layout. In other words, by applying the semiconductor circuit layout determination method to the paper layout, the layout is determined so that the roll length corresponding to the area to be arranged becomes as small as possible when arranging a plurality of image contents from the leading edge of the roll paper. I can do it.

  As a layout technique that places importance on layout efficiency, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for efficiently allocating and printing content on a paper surface. According to Patent Document 2, after assigning print target content to printable areas in different arrangements and generating a plurality of assignment candidates, final assignment is determined based on the occupation ratio of the print target content to the printable area. This enables efficient layout generation with little margin.

  On the other hand, in general, when paper is used as a layout target, the layout is often handled in units of pages. Therefore, when the layout is generated, if only the length of the area is taken into consideration, the content is arranged across the pages. Even if the area where the content is arranged in the page is small, a new page is created. May cause inconveniences such as

  Various solutions to this inconvenience have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 3, when a page break occurs in the middle of content for a document described in a structured language, the entire content is shifted to the next page according to the correlation of the elements to be divided, or at least A method for changing the layout such as fitting the limited number of lines into a page is disclosed.

  Further, Patent Document 4 discloses a method for adjusting the document layout and page break position so that the number of transfer sheets at the time of aggregate printing is maximized according to the aggregation rate. According to Patent Document 4, for example, when content such as a chart covers a plurality of pages, processing such as changing the layout of the chart or reducing the size is performed.

  Furthermore, in Patent Document 5, when a small amount of content is included in a page, in order to solve the problem that most of the page is blank and poor in appearance, the layout is adjusted by adjusting the distance between the contents. A technique to be changed is disclosed.

  However, according to Patent Document 1 described above, the layout work that has been entrusted to the user in the past is automated, leading to a reduction in work load, while the viewpoint of efficiently arranging each content data is There was a problem that it was not considered.

  Further, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, there is a problem that there is no guarantee that a highly accurate layout exists among the plurality of generated allocation candidates. According to Patent Document 2, the occupation rate is defined as the proportion of the print target content in the print area on the print medium. For this reason, a wide range of margins that are noticeable and a margin between contents may be handled in the same manner. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 does not touch on the layout based on the concept of a page as described above.

  Furthermore, the techniques of Patent Documents 3 to 5 described above are not methods for generating the content layout itself. In other words, the techniques of Patent Documents 3 to 5 relate to a method of adjusting the layout according to page breaks, and do not provide an automatic layout in which content is arranged on a paper surface extending over a plurality of pages.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide an image processing method, an image processing apparatus, a program, and a storage medium capable of automatically generating an appropriate layout for each page of content over a plurality of pages. And

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides a plurality of contents with respect to an arrangement area in which a width and a page area consisting of areas divided in order at predetermined heights are defined. Is an image processing method for arranging and outputting content in a range formed by the top and bottom edges of content having the maximum height among the content arranged in a row in the width direction with respect to the height direction of the placement region A block whose height is defined by the top and bottom edges of the content with the maximum width and the width of the placement area, and an adjacent block starting at one end in the height direction of the placement area Are arranged in contact with each other in the width direction of the arrangement area, and the content is in contact with the adjacent contents, does not exceed the width of the arrangement area, and all the contents are arranged. The close-packed layout generation step that arranges the overall height to be approximately the minimum and the close-packed layout generation step straddle the page area when the block is placed across the page area. And a final layout generation step of rearranging the blocks by moving the blocks to the page areas in the subsequent order in the page areas spanned by the blocks.

  The present invention is also an image processing apparatus that arranges and outputs a plurality of contents with respect to an arrangement area in which a width and a page area consisting of areas divided in order at predetermined heights are defined. The content is arranged within the range consisting of the top and bottom edges of the content with the maximum height among the content arranged in a row in the width direction with respect to the height direction of the placement area, and has the width of the placement area. The blocks whose height is defined at the top and bottom of the content with the maximum height are sequentially placed so that one of the placement area in the height direction starts at the top and touches the adjacent block, and the width of the placement area The content touches the adjacent content and does not exceed the width of the placement area with respect to the direction, and the overall height of the block when all the content is placed is approximately minimized. When the block is arranged across the page area by the close-packed layout generation unit and the close-packed layout generation unit, the block that straddles the page area is changed to the block in the page area that the block straddles. And final layout generation means for rearranging blocks by moving to subsequent page areas.

  According to the present invention, with respect to the height direction of the placement area, the content is placed within a range composed of the upper end and the lower end of the content having the maximum height among the content placed in a row in the width direction. Blocks that have the width of the area and whose height is defined by the top and bottom edges of content with the maximum height are sequentially placed so that one edge in the height direction of the placement area starts at the top and touches the adjacent block. In the width direction of the placement area, the content touches the adjacent content, does not exceed the width of the placement area, and the overall height of the block when all the contents are placed is approximately minimized. If the block is placed across the page area, the block across the page area is moved to the page area after the order of the page area across the block. Allowed to have to perform the re-arrangement of blocks. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the arrangement of contents in units of blocks, and there is an effect that an appropriate layout for each page of contents over a plurality of pages can be automatically generated.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an example of an image processing apparatus applicable to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a content layout assumed in the present invention. FIG. 3 is an exemplary flowchart conceptually showing the image processing according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart schematically showing an example of a content arrangement method using FFDH. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the close-packed layout generated by FFDH. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining definitions of blocks and rows. FIG. 7A is a schematic diagram for explaining an example in which blocks are arranged across pages. FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram for explaining an example in which blocks are arranged without straddling pages. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for generating a page layout according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9A is a schematic diagram for explaining an example where an appropriate page break is not found even in an efficient arrangement. FIG. 9-2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the effect of the content arrangement method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a page layout generation method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for adjusting the position of the block itself. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for adjusting the position of content within a block. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a page layout generation method according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a page layout generation method according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

  Exemplary embodiments of an image processing method according to the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of an image processing apparatus 100 applicable to the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the image processing apparatus 100 applicable to the present invention can be configured by a general computer.

  In the image processing apparatus 100, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, an I / O (Input / Output) unit 102, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 103, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 104, and a hard disk drive (with respect to the internal bus 110) HDD) 105 is connected. Each unit connected to the internal bus 110 can exchange data with each other via the internal bus 110.

  The HDD 105 stores various programs and data. For example, an OS (Operating System) and an image processing program for executing the image processing method according to the present invention are stored in the HDD 105. The image data input from the image input unit 11 is stored in the HDD 105. The CPU 101 controls the overall operation of the image processing apparatus 100 using the RAM 104 as a work memory in accordance with a program stored in advance in the ROM 103 or a program stored in the HDD 105. The I / O unit 102 manages data input / output with external devices connected to the image processing apparatus 100, including the image input unit 11 and the image output unit 12.

  Image data as content data processed by the image processing apparatus 100 is input from the image input unit 11 to the image input apparatus 100 and stored in the HDD 105 via the I / O unit 102 or supplied to the CPU 101. The The image input unit 11 has a function of capturing and outputting an image, such as a scanner, a copier, or a multifunction device having a combination of a scanning function and a printing function. The image input unit 11 may include an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) so that a plurality of images can be automatically captured and output continuously. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the image input unit 11 may have a communication function for performing communication via a network such as the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network), and may take in image data from a storage medium connected to the network.

  The image processing apparatus 100 can also process text data as content data. The text data is input to the image processing apparatus 100 via, for example, a keyboard (not shown) connected to the image processing apparatus 100 or an external device via the I / O unit 102.

  The content data processed by the image processing apparatus 100 is output to the image output unit 12 via the I / O unit 102. The image output unit 12 has a function of forming and outputting an image from content data, such as a printer or a display. The image processing apparatus 100 generates layout data in which one or more pieces of content data input from the image input unit 11 are arranged in units of pages, and outputs the layout data to the image output unit 12. The image output unit 12 performs printing and display output of content data in units of pages according to the layout data supplied from the image processing apparatus 100.

<First Embodiment>
In the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a layout is generated when a plurality of rectangular contents having various sizes (width × height) are arranged on the arrangement area 200 having the width W and the height H. To do. Here, the width W has a finite value, and the height H has an infinite value. The layout indicates the content arrangement on the arrangement area 200, and the layout data includes information (for example, coordinate information) indicating the content arrangement in the layout. A page refers to an area for displaying at one time. In the following, each area obtained by dividing an arrangement area having a width W at a predetermined height h for displaying at one time is called a page.

  FIG. 3 is an exemplary flowchart conceptually showing the image processing according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Each process in the flowchart of FIG. 3 is executed by the CPU 101 in accordance with the image processing program according to the first embodiment.

  In step S1, a plurality of pieces of content data are acquired by the image processing apparatus 100. In the next step S2, the image processing apparatus 100 generates a close-packed layout based on the plurality of content data acquired in step S1. In the next step S3, the final layout for each page is determined based on the closest packed layout generated in step S2. Layout data indicating the final layout determined in step S3 is output to the image output unit 12.

<Generate close-packed layout>
The close-packed layout generation process in step S2 of FIG. 3 will be described in more detail. In addition, although the content data actually input can assume various shapes, in the following, it is assumed that an image based on the content data is a rectangle for explanation. Here, a minimum rectangle including an image based on content data may be assumed, or a rectangle considering a margin or the like may be assumed for an image based on content data. Hereinafter, in order to avoid complications, “images based on content data” are simply referred to as “contents”.

In the close-packed layout in step S2, there is a problem that a plurality of contents are arranged so that the following conditions are satisfied and the height is minimized for an area having a predetermined width and an infinite height. And decide the layout of each content.
(1) The content has a rectangular shape, and the width and height are rational values.
(2) Do not allow rotation.
(3) Each content does not overlap each other.

Here, the condition that the contents in (3) do not overlap each other is equivalent to that at least one of the following expressions (1) to (4) holds for the two contents C _i and C _j. . In Expressions (1) to (4), value w and value h are the width and height of the content, respectively, value x and value y are the x coordinate and y coordinate of one end of the content (for example, the lower left corner), respectively. It is.
x _i + w _i ≦ x _j (1)
_{x j + w j ≦ x i} ... (2)
y _i + h _i ≦ y _j (3)
y _j + h _j ≦ y _i (4)

When deciding which one of the formulas (1) to (4) is to be adopted for each content, it can be said that there are 4 ^{(n (n-1) / 2)} possibilities in simple estimation. This problem is generally referred to as a boxing problem, belongs to NP difficulty, and is considered extremely difficult to solve in a practical calculation time. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a close-packed layout is generated using a technique for obtaining an optimal approximate solution that approximates the optimal solution with the simplest possible procedure.

  In order to solve such a problem, FFDH (First-Fit Decreasing-Height) or NFDH (NFDH) is used as a basic algorithm that satisfies the above-described conditions and has an evaluation value, that is, a degree of deviation from the optimal solution. Next-Fit Decreasing-Height) is known. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the closest packed layout is generated using FFDH. For FFDH, see “EGCoffman, JR., MRGarey, DSJohonson, RETarjan (Bell Lab. & Stanford Univ.)“ Performance bounds for level-oriented two-dimensional packing algorithms ”, SIAM J. Comput, vol.9. , pp808-826, No. 4, 1980 ”(Non-Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart schematically showing an example of a content arrangement method using FFDH. Each process in the flowchart of FIG. 4 is executed by the CPU 101 in accordance with the image processing program according to the first embodiment. According to FFDH, first, the contents are sorted in descending order, and the first content (that is, the highest content) in the sort order is arranged at the arrangement start position of the arrangement area, and the processing is started. To do. In the following, for the sake of explanation, the arrangement start position is defined as the upper left corner of the arrangement area.

  Prior to the start of the processing according to the flowchart of FIG. 4, it is assumed that some content (for example, the first content in the sort order) is arranged in the arrangement area. With this as the last placed content, the processing according to the flowchart of FIG. 4 is started. In step S10, it is determined whether or not the arrangement has been completed for all the contents. If it is determined that the arrangement has not been completed, the process proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, if it is determined that the processing has been completed, a series of processes according to the flowchart of FIG. 4 ends.

  In step S11, the next content is selected in the sort order with respect to the content selected immediately before. In the next step S12, it is determined whether or not the content selected in step S11 is the last content in the sort order. If it is determined that it is not the last content, the process proceeds to step S13.

  In step S13, it is determined whether or not the content selected in step S11 can be arranged on the right side of the content arranged last. That is, if the width from the right end of the content arranged last to the right end of the arrangement area is equal to or larger than the width of the content selected in step S11, it is determined that the selected content can be arranged. If it is determined that the content cannot be arranged, the process returns to step S10. If the arrangement has not been completed for all contents, the next content is selected in the sort order (step S11), and the process is repeated. .

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S13 that the content can be arranged, the process proceeds to step S14, and the content selected in step S11 is arranged to the right of the content arranged last. Information indicating the arrangement position of the content is stored in the RAM 104, for example. Then, the process returns to step S10.

  If it is determined in step S12 described above that the content selected in step S11 is the last content in the sort order, the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, among the unarranged contents, the contents having the earliest sort order (that is, the highest height) are arranged below the contents arranged at the left end in the width direction with respect to the contents arranged last. Are arranged left justified. Information indicating the arrangement position of the content is stored in the RAM 104, for example. Then, the process returns to step S11.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of the close-packed layout generated by FFDH as described above. In this example, eight contents are arranged in an arrangement area having a width of “10”. The close-packed layout generated in step S2 of FIG. 3 is referred to as an initial page layout.

  As can be seen from the processing according to the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 4, in the close-packed layout by FFDH, content having the same or lower height as the content is arranged on the right side of the content. As for the content at the left end, content having the same height as or lower than the content is arranged below the content. Hereinafter, the area that has the width of the placement area, the height and the position in the height direction in the placement area are defined at the upper and lower ends of the content at the left end, is referred to as “block”, and the block delimiter is defined as “row”. (Refer to FIG. 6).

  Here, in the example of FIG. 5, the contents are arranged in a line with the upper ends aligned. Not limited to this, a series of blocks arranged in a line in the right direction with respect to the leftmost block may be arranged in other ways as long as the upper and lower ends do not exceed the range of the upper and lower ends of the leftmost block.

In FFDH, it is known that the evaluation value for the optimal solution is as shown in the following equation (5). Expression (5) is an example when the height and width of the content are normalized to “1”, respectively. In the equation (5), the value H _alg represents the height obtained by FFDH, and the value H _opt represents an optimal solution.
H _alg ≦ 1.7 × H _opt +1 (5)

<Generation of Page Layout According to First Embodiment>
Next, generation of a final layout for each page in step S3 of FIG. 3 described above will be described. In step S2 of FIG. 3, after generating the initial page layout by the close-packed layout according to the procedure described with reference to FIG. 4, the layout area is a page whose width matches the width of the layout area and has a predetermined height. Divide into units. At this time, as illustrated in FIG. 7A, a certain block may be arranged across the page. In the example of FIG. 7A, among the blocks 301 to 304 arranged in the arrangement area 300, the block 303 is arranged across the pages. This is not preferable because the content is divided on the way. Therefore, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the layout is adjusted so that each block does not cross the page, and a final layout for each page is generated.

  In the first embodiment, a block arranged across pages is moved to the top of the next page. Here, the next page refers to the next page viewed from the page to which the upper end of a block arranged across the pages belongs. That is, in the example of FIG. 7A, the block 303 arranged across the page is moved to the top of the next page, and each block arranged below the block 303 is also moved downward as the block 303 moves. Shift the position to. Thereafter, by repeating this process sequentially for each page, it is possible to finally generate a layout in which all the contents are arranged not to cross the page.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of a page layout generation method according to the first embodiment. Each process in the flowchart of FIG. 8 is executed by the CPU 101 in accordance with the image processing program according to the first embodiment. First, in step S20, the page layout of the target page is acquired. Note that the page layout acquired in step S20 is a layout including blocks related to the target page to be processed. When the target page is the first page, the page layout of the target page is acquired from the initial page layout.

  In the next step S <b> 21, it is determined whether or not there is a block straddling the page in the page layout of the target page. If it is determined that there is no block straddling the page, the process proceeds to step S23.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S21 that the layout of the target page includes a block straddling the page, the process proceeds to step S22. In step S22, the block and each block arranged below the block are moved downward so that the block arranged across the page in the layout of the target page is arranged at the head of the next page of the target page. Shift and rearrange. When the block rearrangement is completed, the process proceeds to step S23.

  In step S23, a page layout in the target page is generated according to the current block arrangement state, and the page layout of the target page is determined. Then, the process proceeds to step S24, and it is determined whether or not the page layout has been determined for all pages. If it is determined that there is a page for which the page layout is not determined, the process returns to step S20, and the process is repeated with the next page for which the page layout is determined in step S23 as the target page.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S24 that the page layout has been determined for all the pages, a series of processing ends. In this case, when there is no unarranged block, it is determined that the page layout has been determined for all pages.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, when contents of various sizes are arranged in an arrangement area extending over a plurality of pages, the number of output pages becomes as small as possible and the contents are not divided by pages. Such a layout can be automatically generated.

  In addition, when content of various sizes is placed in the placement area, there is no guarantee that page breaks can be provided so that all content does not cross pages, and content that is placed across pages occurs. Probability is high. In other words, in order to draw a line (page break) in the width direction so as not to divide the content in a state where the content is arranged, there is a condition that the upper side or the lower side of the content is aligned when viewed in the width direction. Necessary. FIG. 9A illustrates an example in which an appropriate page break is not found even in an efficient arrangement.

  According to the first embodiment of the present invention, when content is arranged, the width direction of the arrangement region protrudes from the height of the content 201 arranged at the left end as illustrated in FIG. Since the content that falls within the nonexistent range 202 is searched, the arrangement can be changed in units of blocks. Therefore, it is possible to easily determine the layout of each page from which content is not divided between pages from the arrangement of the initial page layout by the close-packed layout.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, in addition to the processing of the first embodiment described above, when there is a block straddling a page, a block that fits in the target page is searched from a block subsequent to the block. Then, rearrangement is performed by exchanging the searched block and the block over the page. Thereby, an efficient page layout can be easily generated.

  According to the method for generating the close-packed layout described with reference to FIG. 4, when a new block is formed, content having the maximum height among the unallocated content at that time is arranged at the left end of the block. become. Therefore, the height of the block monotonously decreases (or does not increase) as the block is disposed below. Therefore, when a block is placed across a page, there is a possibility that there is a block under the block that is high enough to eliminate the situation where the block crosses the page by exchanging the placement with the block. There is.

  Therefore, in the second embodiment, when a certain block is arranged across the page, it is determined whether or not the block fits in the page when the arrangement is exchanged with the target block sequentially from the block located below the block. judge. If there is a block having a height that fits within the page, the arrangement of the block and the arrangement of the block across the page are switched. By repeating the same process every time a block is placed across pages, a page layout can be generated so that all content does not cross pages.

  This will be described more specifically with reference to FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 7A, blocks 301 to 304 are arranged in the arrangement area 300, and among them, the block 303 is arranged across the pages, and the content included in the block 303 is divided by page breaks. I'm stuck. Such division of content is not preferable particularly when the content is a figure or a table.

  Here, by the above-described processing, the arrangement exchange with the block 303 is tried sequentially from the block arranged immediately below the block 303 arranged across the pages. In the example of FIG. 7A, blocks 301 to 303 whose heights are “6”, “3”, and “3” from the top with respect to the height “11” of one page are arranged, and the block 303 has a height. Only "1" protrudes from the page. When the block 303 is removed, a margin of height “2” is generated between the block 302 immediately above the block 303 and the lower end of the page. On the other hand, since the block 304 arranged immediately below the block 303 has a height of “2”, the situation where the block straddles the page is resolved by replacing the block 303 and the block 304 and performing the rearrangement. You can see that

  FIG. 7-2 illustrates an example in which the blocks 303 and 304 are replaced and rearranged from the state illustrated in FIG. It can be seen that the block 304 is arranged without straddling the target page. By performing such rearrangement, it is possible to eliminate a situation in which blocks straddle pages while maintaining efficiency.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of a page layout generation method according to the second embodiment. Each process in the flowchart of FIG. 10 is executed by the CPU 101 in accordance with the image processing program according to the second embodiment. First, in step S30, the page layout of the target page is acquired in the same manner as in step S20 described above. Then, in the next step S31, it is determined whether or not there is a block across the page in the page layout of the target page. If it is determined that there is no block straddling the page, the process proceeds to step S37.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S31 that there is a block that crosses the page in the layout of the target page, the process proceeds to step S32. In step S32, the height y from the lower end of the block arranged immediately above the block determined to straddle the page to the lower end of the target page is obtained.

  In the next step S33, it is determined whether or not a block is further arranged below the target block. If the determination in step S33 is a determination immediately after it is determined in step S31 that there is a block straddling the page, the block straddling the page is set as the target block. If it is determined that more blocks are arranged immediately below the target block, the process proceeds to step S34.

In step S34, when the block arranged immediately below the target block is replaced with a block straddling the page, it is determined whether or not the block fits in the target page. For example, the height y obtained in step S32, is compared with the height h _b of the blocks arranged directly below the target block, if the height y is the height h _b above, the block is subject pages It is determined that it falls within.

Wakashi, in step S34, higher than the height h _b is the height y, when placed interchanging the block across the target block and page, if the target block is determined not to fit in the page, the process It returns to step S33. Then, the block that has been attempted to be replaced with the block that straddles the page immediately before is set as a new target block, and the determination is performed in the same manner for a block arranged immediately below the target block.

On the other hand, in step S34, the height h _b is not more than the height y, when placed interchanging the block across the target block and page, if the target block is determined to fit on the page, the process steps The process proceeds to S35. In step S35, the target block and the block straddling the page are switched, and the blocks are rearranged. In this case, the target block is arranged immediately below the block immediately above the block straddling the page, and the block straddling the page is arranged at the head of the next page of the target page. Then, from the position immediately below this block, the blocks arranged from directly below the target block are arranged without changing the order. When block rearrangement is performed in step S35, the process proceeds to step S37.

  If it is determined in step S33 described above that no block is placed below the target block, the process proceeds to step S36. In this case, this means that there is no block that can be replaced with a block that straddles the page so as to fit within the target page. Therefore, in step S36, the block and each block arranged below the block are shifted and rearranged so that the block straddling the page is arranged at the head of the next page of the target page. When the block rearrangement is completed, the process proceeds to step S37.

  In step S37, a page layout in the target page is generated according to the current block arrangement state, and the page layout of the target page is determined. Then, the process proceeds to step S38, and it is determined whether or not the page layout has been determined for all pages. If it is determined that there is a page for which the page layout is not determined, the process returns to step S30, and the process is repeated with the next page for which the page layout is determined in step S37 as the target page.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S38 that the page layout has been determined for all the pages, the series of processes is terminated. In this case, when there is no unarranged block, it is determined that the page layout has been determined for all pages.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, when contents of various sizes are arranged in an arrangement area extending over a plurality of pages, the number of output pages becomes as small as possible, and the contents are not divided by pages. Such a layout can be automatically generated.

  Further, according to the second embodiment, when a new block is formed by generating the close-packed layout, content having the maximum height among the unallocated contents at that time is arranged at the left end of the block. It will be. Therefore, the height of the block monotonously decreases (or does not increase) as the block is disposed below. Therefore, if a block is placed across a page, the block height is checked sequentially from the block immediately below, and if there is a block that fits within the page, that block and the block that crosses the page By replacing and rearranging, it is possible to easily generate an efficient page layout.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the third embodiment, a more preferable page layout is generated by further adjusting the final page layout generated in the first or second embodiment described above. In this case, a method of adjusting the position of the block itself and a method of adjusting the position of the content within the block are conceivable.

  First, as a first method, a method for adjusting the position of the block itself within the page will be described. That is, in the page layout generated by the first and second embodiments described above, only one block may be arranged for the last page, and all the remaining areas of the page may be blank. Therefore, a page layout is generated by the method described in the first or second embodiment, and after the total number of pages is determined, the position of the block itself is adjusted within the page and between pages.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for adjusting the position of the block itself. Each process in the flowchart of FIG. 11 is executed by the CPU 101 according to the image processing program according to the third embodiment. First, in step S40, the closest packed layout is acquired as described with reference to FIG. 4, and in the next step S41, an initial page layout is generated from the closest packed layout. In this initial page layout, as already explained, there is a possibility that there are blocks arranged across the pages. In the next step S42, rearrangement is performed in units of blocks based on the initial page layout so that there are no blocks across the pages across all pages. The process in step S42 follows the procedure described with reference to FIG. 8 or FIG. 9 and moves the block across the page to the beginning of the next page or replaces it with another block, so that the block changes the page. Eliminate the situation of straddling.

  When the layout of all pages is determined by the processing up to step S42 and the total number of pages necessary for the layout is determined, the processing proceeds to step S43. In step S43, the position of the block is adjusted.

As the processing in step S43, for example, it is conceivable to rearrange the blocks so that the variation between the blank portions at the bottom of the page is reduced. As an example, when the processing of step S42 is completed, the total height h _avg of the total height of blocks arranged on one page is calculated by dividing the total height of all blocks by the number of pages. The total height of the blocks arranged in the last page to be close to the average value h _avg, one from each page, move the block to the last page.

In addition, the layout of each page can be adjusted by rearranging blocks within the page. For example, it is conceivable to assign a blank generated at the bottom of the page as a margin between blocks. As an example, as illustrated in the following formula (6), in each page, the height M of the lower blank area is divided by the number of blocks n−1 and the inter-block margin is equally divided between the blocks. Allocate BM.
BM = M / (n-1) (6)

  Of course, the block rearrangement within this page may be combined with the above-described block movement between pages. That is, after the blocks are rearranged so that the variation between the blank portions at the bottom of the page is reduced, the blocks are rearranged in the page to make the blank portions uniform.

  Next, as a second method, a method for adjusting the position of content in a block will be described. Even if the content is moved within the block, the number of pages does not increase unless the block itself is moved. Therefore, a method of adjusting the left / right balance by moving the content in the block in the horizontal direction, for example, can be considered. At this time, it is preferable to move the content in consideration of the size and shape (aspect ratio) of the content arranged in the block.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for adjusting the position of content within a block. Each process in the flowchart of FIG. 12 is executed by the CPU 101 according to the image processing program according to the third embodiment. First, in step S50, the closest packed layout is acquired as described with reference to FIG. 4, and in the next step S51, an initial page layout is generated from the closest packed layout. In this initial page layout, as already explained, there is a possibility that there are blocks arranged across the pages. In the next step S52, rearrangement is performed in units of blocks based on the initial page layout so that there are no blocks across the pages across all pages. The processing in step S52 follows the procedure described with reference to FIG. 8 or FIG. 9 and moves the block across the page to the top of the next page or replaces it with another block, so that the block changes the page. Eliminate the situation of straddling.

  When the layout of all pages is determined by the process up to step S52, the process proceeds to step S53. In step S53, the position of the content within the block is adjusted.

In step S53, the visual center of the block and the visual center of the content are, for example, “Steven J. Harrington, J. Femando Naveda, Rhys Price Jones, Paul Roetling, Nishant Thakker,“ Aesthetic Measures for Automated Document Layout ”. (Non-Patent Document 2). For example, the horizontal position of the entire in-block content can be calculated by the following formulas (7) to (9), and the left / right balance degree of the in-block content can be calculated by the following formula (10).

In addition, the meaning of each variable used by above-mentioned Formula (7)-Formula (10) is as follows.
(x _i , y _i ): xy coordinates of content _i
(x _c , y _c ): Visual center of block M _i : Visual center of content
(d _x , d _y ): Maximum distance from the visual center of the block d _h : Block height

Further, since the content can be freely moved within the block, for example, in step S53, the position of the content can be adjusted so that the center position of the content in the block approaches the center of the block. The center position of the in-block content can be calculated by, for example, the following equations (11) and (12), and the balance can be calculated by the equation (13).

  The block and content layout adjustment method is not limited to the above-described example. For example, the arrangement of content between blocks can be adjusted using some indices described in Non-Patent Document 2 described above.

  In the close-packed layout applicable to the present invention, the content is basically arranged left-justified (or right-justified). On the other hand, as a layout, it is generally easy to see when the width direction is balanced. According to the third embodiment, by adjusting the left / right balance of content within a block, a more beautiful layout can be realized while maintaining the efficiency of the layout.

  Further, in the close-packed layout applicable to the present invention, when viewed in units of blocks, the content is basically arranged in the upper left (or upper right). On the other hand, as the layout, it is said that the center of content is located near the center of the block, the balance is better, and it is generally easier to see. According to the third embodiment, by adjusting the position of the center of gravity of the content inside the block, it is possible to realize a more beautiful layout while maintaining the efficiency of the layout.

<Fourth Embodiment>
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the fourth embodiment, the variable amount of the magnification and the variable amount of the aspect are acquired, and the size of the content is changed based on the acquired variable amount, thereby arranging the blocks without straddling the page. To do.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of a page layout generation method according to the fourth embodiment. Each process in the flowchart of FIG. 13 is executed by the CPU 101 in accordance with the image processing program according to the fourth embodiment.

  The flowchart of FIG. 13 corresponds to the processing in the case where it is determined that there is a block straddling a page in the determination of step S21 in the flowchart of FIG. 8 described above or the determination of step S31 in the flowchart of FIG. If it is determined that there is a block straddling the page, in step S60, a variable amount of at least one of a magnification and an aspect ratio for the content included in the block is acquired.

  The variable amount can be specified for each content by a user operation on the image processing apparatus 100, for example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a variable amount may be designated in advance by an image processing program. Further, the variable amount may be a variable amount for the block. Furthermore, the variable amount may be specified according to the type of content, such as a small variable amount when the content is text and a large variable amount when the content is an image.

  Note that whether the content is a text or an image can be determined by, for example, an analysis process described in a fifth embodiment to be described later when the text is input as an image. Needless to say, when text is input as text data, it can be determined based on the type of data.

  When the variable amount is acquired, the process proceeds to step S61, and it is determined whether or not the block fits in the page when the content or the block is deformed within the range of the variable amount. For example, it is determined whether or not the block fits in the page by deforming the content within a specified variable range and adjusting the height by deforming the block accordingly. If it is determined that the block fits in the page due to the deformation, the process proceeds to step S62, and the height of the block is adjusted to fit in the page.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S61 that the block does not fit within the page even if the deformation is performed within the range of the variable amount, that is, the block crosses the page, the process proceeds to step S63. Then, the block is arranged at the head of the next page, and accordingly, the position of the block arranged below the block is also shifted downward.

<Fifth Embodiment>
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the fifth embodiment, the image processing apparatus 100 is provided with a content analysis function for analyzing the content. And the content of the content arrange | positioned to an arrangement | positioning area | region is analyzed by a content analysis function, and a block is replaced based on the analysis result.

The content analysis function is realized as a program that runs on the CPU 101, for example. As a content analysis method, an existing technique can be applied. As information obtained as a result of content analysis, for example, the following information can be considered.
Classification: Text / image Visual information: Structure information such as color / density: Semantic information such as headline / title / text: Correlation / importance between contents and blocks

  First, it is analyzed whether the input content is text or image. For example, character detection is performed on the input image data, and it is determined whether the content is text or image based on the detection result.

  The text can also be input as text data. In this case, it is assumed that information related to text layout such as a display range is input together. However, the display range may be set for the input text data on the image processing apparatus 100 side.

  If the content is an image, for example, it may be possible to create a histogram of RGB values based on the color information for each pixel and perform an analysis on the color. Further, for example, it is conceivable to acquire information related to the density of the image by analyzing the spatial frequency of the image data.

  If the content data is text, it may be possible to analyze the structure of the text and extract a headline, a title, a body, and the like. For example, it is conceivable to analyze the structure of text based on the position and size of a detected character (character group), decoration, and the like. When text data is input as text data described in a markup language such as HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) or XML (Extensible Markup Language), structural analysis can be performed based on the tag. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is conceivable to extract a word used in text data and perform a semantic analysis of the text.

  Based on the analysis results of the visual information and the structure information described above, it is possible to analyze the correlation between the contents and the importance of the contents. It is also possible to analyze the correlation between blocks in which one or a plurality of contents are arranged and the importance of the blocks using the analysis result for each content.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a page layout generation method according to the fifth embodiment. Each process in the flowchart of FIG. 14 is executed by the CPU 101 in accordance with the image processing program according to the fifth embodiment. In the flowchart of FIG. 14, when there is a block straddling a page, the analysis result described above is performed, and the correlation between the block arranged immediately above the block and the block arranged below the block is sequentially ,Ask. Then, the arrangement of the block determined to have a correlation value indicating correlation higher than a predetermined threshold th is replaced.

  First, in step S70, the page layout of the target page is acquired in the same manner as in step S20 described above. Then, in the next step S71, it is determined whether or not there is a block straddling the page in the page layout of the target page. If it is determined that there is no block straddling the page, the process proceeds to step S79.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S71 that there is a block across the page in the layout of the target page, the process proceeds to step S72. In step S72, the height y from the lower end of the block arranged immediately above the block determined to straddle the page to the lower end of the target page is obtained.

  In a next step S73, it is determined whether or not a block is further arranged below the target block. If the determination in step S73 is a determination immediately after it is determined in step S71 that there is a block straddling the page, the block straddling the page is the target block. If it is determined that more blocks are arranged immediately below the target block, the process proceeds to step S74.

In step S74, it is determined whether or not the block fits in the target page when the block arranged immediately below the target block is replaced with a block straddling the page. For example, the height y obtained in step S72, the comparison between the height h _b of the blocks arranged directly below the target block, if the height y is the height h _b above, the block is subject pages It is determined that it falls within.

If it is determined in step S74 that the height h _b is higher than the height y and the target block and the block straddling the page are replaced and arranged and the target block does not fit in the page, the process is as follows. It returns to step S73. Then, the block that has been attempted to be replaced with the block that straddles the page immediately before is set as a new target block, and the determination is performed in the same manner for a block arranged immediately below the target block.

On the other hand, in step S74, the height h _b is not more than the height y, when placed interchanging the block across the target block and page, if the target block is determined to fit on the page, the process steps The process proceeds to S75. In step S75, a correlation between the target block and a block arranged immediately above the block across the page is calculated. Then, in the next step S76, it is determined whether this correlation is higher than a predetermined threshold th.

  If it is determined that the calculated correlation is higher than the threshold th, the process proceeds to step S77, the target block and the block straddling the page are switched, and the blocks are rearranged. In this case, the target block is arranged immediately below the block immediately above the block straddling the page, and the block straddling the page is arranged at the head of the next page of the target page. Then, the blocks arranged from directly under this block are arranged without changing the order. When block rearrangement is performed in step S77, the process proceeds to step S79.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S76 that the correlation is equal to or less than the threshold th, the process returns to step S73, and the process is repeated for the next block.

  If it is determined in step S73 described above that no block is arranged below the target block, the process proceeds to step S78. In step S78, the block and the blocks arranged below the block are shifted downward and rearranged so that the block straddling the page is arranged at the head of the next page of the target page. When the block rearrangement is completed, the process proceeds to step S79.

  In step S79, a page layout in the target page is generated according to the current block arrangement state. Then, the process proceeds to step S80, and it is determined whether or not the page layout has been determined for all pages. If it is determined that there is a page for which the page layout is not determined, the process returns to step S70, and the process is repeated with the next page for which the page layout is determined in step S79 as the target page.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S80 that the page layout has been determined for all the pages, the series of processes is terminated. In this case, when there is no unarranged block, it is determined that the page layout has been determined for all pages.

  In the above description, the block whose correlation is determined to be higher than the threshold th in step S76 is used directly for replacement, but this is not limited to this example. For example, there may be a case where there are a plurality of target blocks that are arranged under blocks that cross the page and are determined to fit within the page. In such a case, for all the target blocks, the correlation with the block immediately above the block across the pages may be obtained, and the block with the highest correlation may be selected and used for replacement.

  As described above, in the fifth embodiment, even if it is determined in step S74 that the block can be replaced based on the height h of the block, the replaced block and the block arranged immediately above the block are If it is determined that the correlation is low, the replacement is not performed. As a result, it is possible to suppress disposition of blocks that are irrelevant in content due to block replacement.

  The image processing program executed by the image processing apparatus 100 according to each of the above-described embodiments is a file in an installable format or executable format, and is a CD-ROM, flexible disk (FD), CD (Compact Disk), DVD. (Digital Versatile Disk) provided by being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium.

  Further, the image processing program executed by the image processing apparatus 100 according to each embodiment described above may be provided by being stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and downloaded via the network. good. The image processing program executed by the image processing apparatus 100 according to each embodiment described above may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

  In addition, the image processing program executed by the image processing apparatus 100 according to each of the above-described embodiments may be provided by being incorporated in advance in a ROM or the like.

  The image processing program executed by the image processing apparatus 100 according to each of the above-described embodiments includes a module that generates the above-described closest packing layout and a module that generates a layout of each page based on the closest packing layout. As actual hardware, the CPU 101 (processor) reads out and executes an image processing program from, for example, the HDD 105, whereby the above-described modules are loaded onto the main storage device (RAM 104), and the closest packing layout is obtained. A generation module and a page layout generation module are generated on the main storage device.

  In the above description, the image processing apparatus 100 applicable to the present invention is described as being configured as a general computer, but this is not limited to this example. For example, the image processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention can be applied to a multifunction machine having at least two functions among a copy function, a printer function, a scanner function, and a facsimile function. Further, the image processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention can be applied to any image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a scanner apparatus, and a facsimile apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Image input part 12 Image output part 100 Image processing apparatus 101 CPU
102 I / O unit 105 HDD
200 placement area

Japanese Patent No. 4047326 JP 2005-275682 A JP 2006-259819 A JP 2007-150698 A JP 2007-11577 A

Claims (15)

An image processing method for arranging and outputting a plurality of contents with respect to an arrangement area in which a width and a page area composed of areas divided in order for each predetermined height are defined,
With respect to the height direction of the arrangement area, the content is arranged within a range consisting of the upper end and the lower end of the maximum content among the contents arranged in a row in the width direction, and the width of the arrangement area is set. The blocks whose height is defined at the upper and lower ends of the content having the maximum height are sequentially arranged so as to be in contact with the adjacent blocks, starting from one end in the height direction of the arrangement area,
With respect to the width direction of the placement area, the content touches the adjacent content and does not exceed the width of the placement area, and the overall height by the block when all the contents are placed is approximately minimum. A close-packed layout generation step to arrange so that
When the block is arranged across the page area by the close-packed layout generation step, the block that straddles the page area is changed to a page area after the order in the page area that the block straddles. And a final layout generation step of rearranging the blocks after moving to the image processing method. The close-packed layout generation step includes
An ordering step for ordering the content in descending order;
The content that is ordered as having the highest height in the ordering step among all the content to be arranged is arranged so as to be in contact with one end in the width direction of the arrangement region and one end in the height direction. 1 placement step;
It is determined whether or not the content ordered as having the highest height among the unallocated content in the ordering step can be arranged without overlapping other content in the block to which the content arranged immediately before belongs. A determination step;
If it is determined in the determination step that the content can be placed, the content ordered as having the highest height among the unplaced content is placed immediately before the content placed immediately before in the block to which the content is placed. Placed in contact with the content
When it is determined by the determination step that the content is not arrangeable, the content ordered as having the highest height among the unplaced content is in contact with the block to which the content placed immediately before belongs, and the The image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising: a second arrangement step of arranging so as to be in contact with one end in the width direction. The final layout generation step includes
The block straddling the page area is moved to the beginning of the page area in the order of the page area straddling the block, and the position of the block arranged behind the block is shifted with the movement. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein rearrangement is performed. The final layout generation step includes
From the block arranged behind the block across the page area, the height is equal to or less than the height between the lower end of the block arranged immediately above the block across the page area and the lower end of the page area 3. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the block is searched, and the block that has been searched and the block that crosses the page area are replaced to perform block rearrangement. An analysis step for analyzing the contents of the content to obtain a correlation between the contents;
The final layout generation step includes
5. The image processing method according to claim 4, wherein the block to be replaced is selected based on the correlation between the searched block and the block across the page area, which is obtained in the analysis step. The final layout generation step includes
When a plurality of blocks are obtained by the search, the block having the highest correlation with the block straddling the page area obtained in the analysis step among the plurality of searched blocks is replaced. 6. The image processing method according to claim 5, wherein a block to be performed is determined. The final layout generation step includes
A transformation step for transforming the content within the range specified for the content;
When the content in the block across the page area is deformed within the range by the deformation step, and the height of the block is adjusted by deforming the block as the content is deformed. 7. The movement of a block straddling the page area is performed when a block straddling the page area after adjustment does not fit in the page area. 8. An image processing method described in 1. The image processing method according to claim 7, wherein the deformation performed by the deformation step is a reduction process for the content. The image processing method according to claim 7, wherein the deformation performed by the deformation step is a process of changing an aspect ratio of the content. The final layout generation step includes
The image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of adjusting an arrangement of contents in a width direction in the block. The final layout generation step includes
11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of moving the blocks between the page areas so that a blank area in which no blocks are arranged in the page area is uniformized in each of the page areas. The image processing apparatus according to any one of the above. The final layout generation step includes
The method further comprises a step of dividing a blank portion between a lower side of the block arranged in the lower stage of the page area and a lower side of the page area, and arranging the divided portion between the blocks arranged in the page area. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein: An image processing apparatus that arranges and outputs a plurality of contents with respect to an arrangement area in which a width and a page area composed of areas divided in order for each predetermined height are defined,
With respect to the height direction of the arrangement area, the content is arranged within a range consisting of the upper end and the lower end of the maximum content among the contents arranged in a row in the width direction, and the width of the arrangement area is set. The blocks whose height is defined at the upper and lower ends of the content having the maximum height are sequentially arranged so as to be in contact with the adjacent blocks, starting from one end in the height direction of the arrangement area,
With respect to the width direction of the placement area, the content touches the adjacent content and does not exceed the width of the placement area, and the overall height by the block when all the contents are placed is approximately minimum. A close-packed layout generating means arranged so that
When the block is arranged across the page area by the close-packed layout generation unit, the block that straddles the page area is changed to a page area that is later in order among the page areas that the block straddles. An image processing apparatus comprising: final layout generation means for rearranging blocks after being moved to The content is the height of the content arranged in a row in the width direction with respect to the height direction of the placement region in which the width and the page region consisting of regions divided in order for each predetermined height are defined. Is placed within the range consisting of the top and bottom edges of the largest content, and the block having the width of the placement area and having the height defined by the top and bottom edges of the largest content is placed in the placement area. Place one end in the height direction as the head, and sequentially arrange so as to contact the adjacent block,
With respect to the width direction of the placement area, the content touches the adjacent content and does not exceed the width of the placement area, and the overall height by the block when all the contents are placed is approximately minimum. A close-packed layout generation step to arrange so that
When the block is arranged across the page area by the close-packed layout generation step, the block that straddles the page area is changed to a page area after the order in the page area that the block straddles. A program for causing a computer to execute a final layout generation step of rearranging blocks by moving to a position.   A computer-readable storage medium storing the program according to claim 14.

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