JP2010219763A - Image operation display device and image-forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify region designation to displayed images as compared with before, and to facilitate a change in an already designated region. <P>SOLUTION: An image operation display device includes: a display means for displaying a prescribed image based on an image signal; an operation means for receiving designation operation two points relating to images displayed on the display means and for outputting operation signals indicating the designation operation of the two points; and an image signal generation means for generating an image signal indicating a rectangular region with two points as a diagonal line as a designated image region, based on operation signals. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image operation display device and an image forming apparatus.

  For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses an image forming apparatus having an image editing function. In this image forming apparatus, in the test print mode, as shown in FIG. 10 or the like of Patent Document 1, when an operator designates a margin for each side of the printing paper numerically and sets a margin area frame on the printing paper, As shown in FIG. 11 and the like, a line image of the margin area frame, a margin width for each side, and a copy image of the document are printed.

JP 2000-224400 A

  By the way, since the margin area frame setting method in the image forming apparatus involves numerically specifying the margin for each side of the rectangular printing paper having four sides, the setting of the area frame is complicated. That is, in the image forming apparatus, in order to set the area frame, the margin must be set numerically for each of the four sides of the printing paper, that is, the user must perform four designation operations. Is bad. Also, in order to reset the area frame once set, it is necessary to input a numerical value again. Therefore, resetting the area frame is also inefficient. In the image forming apparatus used by users of various skill levels, a simple man-machine interface that is easy to understand even for inexperienced users and a simple man-machine interface is particularly desired. There is room for improvement.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and a first object of the present invention is to make it easier to specify an area for a displayed image than before. A second object of the present invention is to facilitate the change of area designation once made.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a display means for displaying a predetermined image based on an image signal, and an image displayed on the display means as a first solution means for an image manipulation display device. An operation means that receives a point designation operation and outputs an operation signal indicating the two point designation operation, and an image signal that generates an image signal indicating a rectangular area having two points as diagonal lines based on the operation signal as a designated image area A means is provided that includes a generating means.

  Further, as a second solving means related to the image operation display device, in the first solving means, the image signal generating means generates the image signal indicating an image in which a portion other than the designated image area is deleted. Is adopted.

  As the third solving means relating to the image operation display device, a means is adopted in which the display means and the operating means are formed by a touch panel having a display function and an operating function in the first or second solving means. To do.

  In the present invention, as the first solving means relating to the image forming apparatus, means including any one of the first to third image operation display devices is employed.

  As a second solving means related to the image forming apparatus, in the first solving means related to the image forming apparatus, the image operation display device displays a preview screen indicating a printing state of the document image and designates the preview screen. A means of displaying a preview screen showing a rectangular area having two diagonal points as a trimming area is adopted.

According to the present invention, simply by designating two points, a rectangular area having the two points as diagonal lines is automatically set as the designated image area. Therefore, the prior art requires four designation operations for the designated image area. It can be set more easily.
In addition, the designated image area once set can be easily changed by simply redesigning two points.
Therefore, according to the present invention, since it is easy to set and change the designated image area, usability can be improved as compared with the conventional case.

It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the multifunctional machine A concerning one Embodiment of this invention. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation of a main part of the MFP A according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a first schematic diagram illustrating a preview screen G in the multifunction peripheral A according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a 2nd schematic diagram which shows the preview screen G in the multifunctional machine A concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a 3rd schematic diagram which shows the preview screen G in the multifunctional machine A concerning one Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the multifunction peripheral A according to the present embodiment. The multi-function device A is an image forming apparatus having various functions (main functions) related to image formation, such as a copier, a printer, a scanner, and a fax machine. As shown in FIG. The image storage unit 3, the communication unit 4, the image processing unit 5, and the printing unit 6 are configured.

  As shown in the figure, the operation display unit 1 includes a touch panel 1a and operation keys 1b, and functions as a man-machine interface that associates the user with the MFP A. As is well known, the touch panel 1a is obtained by bonding a transparent surface-shaped pressure sensor such as a resistive film type to the display surface of the liquid crystal display panel, and the liquid crystal display panel based on an image signal input from the control unit 7. When various operation screens are displayed and an operation button (software key) included in the operation screen is pressed by the user, an operation signal indicating the pressed position (coordinates) detected by the pressure sensor is sent to the control unit 7. Output.

  Here, the operation screen is an image having different contents depending on the function of the multifunction peripheral A used by the user. For example, when using the copy function of the multi-function peripheral A, the user presses an operation button on the initial screen displayed on the touch panel 1a to select an operation button for setting items necessary for document copy processing. The copy operation screen including this is displayed on the touch panel 1a. This copy operation screen includes operation buttons for the user to specify, for example, the number of copies, copy paper size, preview screen display, and the like. The touch panel 1a displays various copy operation screens including operation buttons to which various functions are assigned based on an image signal input from the control unit 7 when the user presses the operation button.

  Some of the copy operation screens include an operation button to which a display function of a preview screen is assigned, for example. The touch panel 1a displays a preview screen indicating the print state (copy state) of the document on the copy paper as one copy operation screen based on the image signal input from the control unit 7 by the operation of the operation button. As will be described in detail later, the touch panel 1a accepts two pressing operations by the user on the preview screen, and outputs an operation signal indicating the pressing positions (coordinates) of the two points to the control unit 7.

  The operation keys 1b are hardware keys such as a power key, various function keys (function keys), a numeric keypad (numeric keys), etc., and are assigned functions different from the operation buttons (software keys) displayed on the touch panel 1a. ing. That is, the operation buttons displayed on the touch panel 1a are displayed by the control unit 7 as images based on a predetermined control program, but the operation keys 1b are provided as mechanical parts on the operation surface of the multi-function device A. It is a thing. When such an operation key 1b is operated by the user, an operation signal indicating the operation is output to the control unit 7.

  The image reading unit 2 includes a document table, a scanner, and the like. Under the control of the control unit 7, the image (document image) of the document placed on the document table is read by the scanner and is stored as document image data in the image storage unit 3. Output to. The image storage unit 3 includes an external storage device such as a hard disk and / or a semiconductor memory, and stores the original image data and reads out the original image data based on a control command input from the control unit 7. The image is output to the image processing unit 5.

  The communication unit 4 communicates with an external multifunction device, a facsimile machine, or a PC (Personal Computer) via a LAN (Local Area Network) or a telephone line under the control of the control unit 7. That is, the communication unit 4 has a communication function compliant with a LAN standard such as Ethernet (registered trademark) and a communication function compliant with a facsimile standard such as G3. For example, when receiving a print job from an external PC, the communication unit 4 notifies the reception of the print job to the control unit 7 and outputs the print job to the image storage unit 3 for storage.

  The image processing unit 5 performs various types of image processing on the document image data (including those included in the print job) (RGB type image data) stored in the image storage unit 3 and also generates the document generated by the image processing. The image data (RGB format image data) is converted into print format original image data (YCMK format image data) and output to the printing unit 6.

  The printing unit 6 prints a document image on printing paper based on the document image data in the print format input from the image processing unit 5. The printing unit 6 employs, for example, a tandem system, and a plurality of photosensitive drums corresponding to colors of Y (yellow), C (cyan), M (magenta), and K (black) are arranged along the intermediate transfer belt. Are arranged in parallel, and a single color toner image is individually formed on each photosensitive drum using a laser beam, and the toner image on each photosensitive drum is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt (primary transfer), and further on the intermediate transfer belt. The original image based on the original image data is printed on the printing paper by secondarily transferring the toner images of all colors onto the printing paper.

  The control unit 7 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an internal memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), the operation display unit 1, the image reading unit 2, the image storage unit 3, and a communication unit 4. The image processing unit 5 and the printing unit 6 include various input / output interface circuits that exchange data. The control unit 7 executes a predetermined control program stored in the ROM based on an operation instruction or the like input from the operation display unit 1, whereby the operation display unit 1, the image reading unit 2, which is a control target, The image storage unit 3, the communication unit 4, the image processing unit 5, and the printing unit 6 are controlled in an integrated manner.

  As one of control processes based on the control program, the control unit 7 generates an image signal and outputs it to the touch panel 1a to display a preview screen on the touch panel 1a, and based on an operation signal input from the touch panel 1a. The content of the preview screen is updated by regenerating the image signal. More specifically, when an operation signal indicating two pressed positions pressed by the user on the preview screen is input from the touch panel 1a, the control unit 7 is a rectangle having two points as diagonal lines based on the operation signal. An image signal indicating a preview screen indicating the area as the designated image area is generated and output to the touch panel 1a.

  The control unit 7 and the touch panel 1a described above constitute an image operation display device in the present embodiment. The touch panel 1a having an operation function and a display function corresponds to an operation unit and a display unit, while the control unit 7 corresponds to an image signal generation unit.

  Next, the operation of the MFP A configured as described above will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In the following description of the operation, a time-series operation with respect to the preview screen in the multifunction device A will be described as the main operation of the multifunction device A.

First, an outline of the operation that is the premise of the operation of the main part will be described.
When the MFP A is powered on, the control unit 7 causes the touch panel 1a to display the initial screen by outputting an image signal indicating the initial screen to the touch panel 1a based on the control program. This initial screen includes operation buttons corresponding to various main functions of the multifunction peripheral A. When the user presses an operation button to which the copy function is assigned to such an initial screen, the touch panel 1a outputs an operation signal indicating that the copy function is selected to the control unit 7.

  As a result, the control unit 7 displays the copy operation screen on the touch panel 1a by outputting an image signal indicating the above-described copy operation screen to the touch panel 1a. When the user presses an operation button assigned with a preview screen display function on the copy operation screen, the touch panel 1a displays an operation signal indicating that the display of the preview screen is instructed by the control unit 7. Output to. As a result, the control unit 7 outputs an image signal indicating the preview screen to the touch panel 1a to display the preview screen on the touch panel 1a (step S1).

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the preview screen G. As shown in the figure, this preview screen G displays, for example, a finished image showing the printing state of a manuscript image composed of a manuscript title “XXX document”, an image (house image), and text (indicated by a dotted line). The finishing state display area G1 and the operation area G2 for displaying the initial operation screen including the trimming button B1, the area specifying button B2, and the OK button B3 are configured.

  The trimming area is a printing (copying) target area set for the original image initially displayed in the finished state display area G1, and is a designated image area in the present embodiment. The trimming button B1 is an operation button for the user to instruct the MFP A to execute trimming processing, and the area designation button B2 is an operation button for the user to designate a trimming area for the original image. . The OK button B3 is an operation button for the user to instruct the multifunction device A to end the trimming process.

  When the user presses the area specifying button B2 in the display state of the preview screen G as described above, when the operation signal indicating the pressing operation of the area specifying button B2 is input from the touch panel 1a (Step S7). S2), a trimming area setting screen including the first point operation button B4, the second point operation button B5, and the OK button B6 as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed in the operation area G2 (step S3). The first point operation button B4 is an operation button for designating the first point P1 that defines the trimming area, and the second point operation button B5 is an operation button for designating the second point P2 that defines the trimming area, and is OK. The button B6 is an operation button for instructing the end of the designation of the trimming area.

  The controller 7 automatically sets the trimming area based on the pressed positions (coordinates) of the first point P1 and the second point P2, as will be described below. That is, the user operates the first point designation button B4 on such a preview screen G, then presses the first point P1, and then operates the second point designation button B5, and then the second point. P2 is pressed and the OK button B6 is pressed. For example, when only the “house image” is to be printed out of the original image, the user designates the first point P1 and the second point P2 as shown in FIG.

  The touch panel 1a controls pressing operations of the first point specifying button B4, the second point specifying button B5, and the OK button B6, and operation signals indicating the pressing positions (specified coordinates) of the first point P1 and the second point P2. Output to part 7. When such an operation signal is input from the touch panel 1a (step S4), the controller 7 trims a rectangular area whose diagonal is a line connecting the first point P1 and the second point P2 as shown in the figure. S is calculated (step S5).

  When the controller 7 calculates the trimming area S based on the first point P1 and the second point P2 in this way, the trimming area S is replaced with the preview screen G that is initially displayed on the touch panel 1a. An image signal indicating the preview screen G is generated, and the preview signal G is updated by outputting the image signal to the touch panel 1a (step S6).

  Here, the trimming area S shown in FIG. 4 is a rectangular area containing the “house image” of the original image as intended by the user, but the user presses the first point P1 and the second point P2. Depending on the method of operation, the trimming area S may be slightly different from what the user intended. That is, the trimming area S does not completely contain the “house image” and a part of the “house image” is out of the trimming area S. There can be.

  In such a case, the user corrects the trimming region S by redesignating the first point P1 and the second point P2. That is, in such a case, the user again operates the first point specifying button B4, presses the first point P1, and then operates the second point specifying button B5, and then the second point P2. The first point P1 and the second point P2 are designated again by pressing the OK button B6 and further pressing the OK button B6. As a result, the touch panel 1a gives the control unit 7 operation signals indicating the pressing operations of the first point specifying button B4, the second point specifying button B5, and the OK button B6 and the coordinates of the first point P1 and the second point P2. Output.

  When such an operation signal is input from the touch panel 1a (Step S7), the control unit 7 calculates the trimming region S again based on the first point P1 and the second point P2 corrected by the user, and performs the trimming. By generating an image signal indicating the preview screen G to which the region S is added and outputting it to the touch panel 1a, the preview screen G including the modified trimming region S is displayed on the touch panel 1a (step S8).

  When the operation signal indicating the pressing operation is input from the touch panel 1a by the user pressing the OK button B5, the control unit 7 displays an initial operation screen in the operation region G2 instead of the trimming region setting screen. Let When the user presses the trimming button B1 and an operation signal indicating the pressing operation is input from the touch panel 1a (step S9), the control unit 7 selects an image in an area other than the trimming area S from the document image. By generating an image signal indicating the erased trimmed image G3 and outputting the image signal to the touch panel 1a, the trimmed image G3 is displayed in the finished state display area G1 as shown in FIG. 5 (step S10).

  Then, in such a display state of the trimmed image G3, when the OK button B3 is pressed by the user, the trimming process ends. If the determination result in step S2 is the pressing operation of the OK button B3, that is, when the user presses the trimming button B1 without specifying the trimming area S in the initial display state of the preview screen G. However, the trimming process ends.

  According to this embodiment as described above, the trimming area S is automatically set by the multi-function peripheral A only by the user specifying the first point P1 and the second point P2, so that four specifying operations are required. It is possible to set the trimming region S more easily than the conventional technique. In addition, it is possible to easily change the trimming region S once set by simply redesigning the first point P1 and the second point P2.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, For example, the following modifications can be considered.
(1) In the above embodiment, the setting of the trimming area S for the document image on which the preview screen G is displayed has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is conceivable to apply to setting of designated image areas for various screens in the image forming apparatus.

(2) The configuration of the operation area G2 on the preview screen G is not limited to the configuration of the schematic diagrams shown in FIGS. For example, instead of selecting the first point P1 and the second point P2 by the first point specifying button B3 and the second point specifying button B4, the first point P1 and the second point displayed on the printing state display area G1. The selection and position correction of the first point P1 and the second point P2 may be performed simultaneously by dragging and dropping P2.

(3) In the above embodiment, the document image trimming process when the copy function of the multifunction peripheral A is used has been described. However, the present invention is also applicable to the trimming process in the facsimile function of the multifunction peripheral A. .
The present invention is not limited to an image forming apparatus, and can be applied to various electronic devices having both a display function and an operation function.

  A ... MFP (image forming apparatus), 1 ... operation display unit, 1a ... touch panel, 1b ... operation key, 2 ... image reading unit, 3 ... image storage unit, 4 ... communication unit, 5 ... image processing unit, 6 ... Print section, 7 ... control section, B1 ... trimming button, B2 ... area setting button, B3, B6 ... OK button, B4 ... first point designation button, B5 ... second point designation button, G3 ... trimming image

Claims (5)

Display means for displaying a predetermined image based on the image signal;
Operation means for accepting a two-point designation operation related to the image displayed on the display means and outputting an operation signal indicating the two-point designation operation;
An image operation display device, comprising: an image signal generation unit configured to generate the image signal indicating a rectangular region having the two points as diagonal lines based on the operation signal as a designated image region.   The image operation display device according to claim 1, wherein the image signal generation unit generates the image signal indicating an image in which a portion other than the designated image region is deleted.   3. The image operation display device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit and the operation unit are formed by a touch panel having a display function and an operation function.   An image forming apparatus comprising the image operation display device according to claim 1.   The image operation display device displays a preview screen showing a printing state of a document image, and displays a preview screen showing a rectangular region having two specified diagonal points on the preview screen as a trimming region. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4.

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