JP2011250353A - Image reading apparatus and image formation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image reading apparatus and an image formation apparatus that can save troubles for finally finding the optimum preview image desired by a user, in the image reading apparatus that displays a plurality of preview images obtained by changing a read image in an image quality element, such as a concentration or the like, by a predetermined level and abbreviating a part of picture elements.SOLUTION: An image reading apparatus having basic preview display means that displays a plurality of preview images obtained by changing a read image in an image quality element, such as a concentration or the like, by a predetermined level and abbreviating a part of picture elements, has detailed preview display control means that carries out a detailed preview display of displaying a detailed preview image obtained by changing the predetermined image quality element, which is preliminarily set, by one or more second levels finer than the predetermined level, to a part of preview images selected among the plurality of preview images displayed by the basic preview display means.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus capable of displaying a preview image in which some of the pixels of a read image are omitted, and more particularly to an image reading apparatus and an image forming apparatus capable of improving the accuracy of preview display. .

Conventionally, there is a case where the image content scheduled to be printed differs from the result actually printed by the printing apparatus. For this reason, the print contents are unintended, and the print medium is wasted or time is wasted by performing printing again. Such waste is often caused by a difference in image quality elements between the expected print image and the image to be used. For example, if there are differences in image quality factors such as brightness, saturation, and density between the image prepared for printing and the expected print image, the image prepared for printing is printed as is. Processing cannot be executed.
In order to prevent such inconvenience, a technique for displaying a plurality of preview images in which an image read for printing is changed by one or more predetermined first levels and a part of pixels is omitted is known. ing.
As an image forming apparatus capable of displaying such a preview image, the printing apparatus displays a requesting external apparatus that displays a print preview in a plurality of external apparatuses (such as a personal computer) connected via a network. There is a printing system that generates a print preview image according to a function and provides the created print preview image to a requesting external device (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
By the way, in the conventional technique for displaying the print state using the preview image as described above, the read image is changed at different levels of, for example, three levels determined in advance with respect to a predetermined image quality element such as, for example, density. Since only a plurality of preview images are displayed with some omitted, it is not always necessary to display a preview image in which the image quality factor expected by the user is adjusted in detail, and the user can quickly and easily reach the preview image desired by the user. I could not.
Specifically, with respect to the read image, for example, if a preview image with the density changed in three stages is obtained, the user may be somewhat closer to the expected image than the original image obtained by reading it. Even if it is obtained, there are many cases where it is not yet close enough. In order to avoid such a situation, it is sufficient to create a preview image in which the density change level for obtaining the preview image is changed small and the density is changed in more stages than three stages. In the case of creating a large number of preview images, an unnecessary image area is used for this purpose, resulting in a waste in another sense and being uneconomical.
Further, the user may not be satisfied by changing only one image quality factor. For example, it is often the case that a read image is desired to change not only the density but also the image type along with the density.
In such a case, according to the conventional method, after acquiring an image that seems to be optimal with respect to the density by changing only the density at the beginning, this time, the image type of the acquired image is changed to arrive at the desired image. A process is required.
Also, considering the density and image type, when an image obtained by changing one of the densities as in the prior art is obtained and the image type is further changed, the image about the density is changed by changing the image type. Therefore, there are many cases where it is necessary to repeat the density change again, and there is a problem that it takes a lot of time and effort to finally reach the desired image.

JP 2004-192162 A

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to read a read image for one or more first levels determined in advance for a predetermined image quality element. In an image reading apparatus that displays a plurality of preview images that are changed and part of pixels are omitted, an image reading apparatus that can simplify the process of finally reaching an optimum preview image desired by a user, and such an image reading apparatus Is provided.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention changes a read image by a predetermined first or two or more first levels with respect to a predetermined image quality element and omits some of the pixels. An image reading apparatus comprising basic preview display means for displaying a preview image,
With respect to some selected preview images of the plurality of preview images displayed by the basic preview display means, the predetermined predetermined image quality element is set to one or more second finer than the first level. This is configured as an image reading apparatus including detailed preview display control means for performing detailed preview display for displaying a detailed preview image that has been changed by the level.
For example, the basic preview display means includes a preview image in which the image quality element is not changed for the read image and a plurality of the image quality elements in which the two or more image quality elements are changed before and after the first level. The detailed preview display means for one preview image selected for one image quality element of the plurality of preview images for the plurality of image quality elements displayed in the basic preview, A detailed preview image obtained by changing one designated image quality element in the basic preview display by one or more second levels finer than the first level is displayed, and other image quality elements not designated are displayed. For the preview image, the first preview image is changed for the first level. If it is intended to display a preview image can be considered.
As another example, for the read image, the basic preview display means does not change the image quality element and the two or more image quality elements in which two or more image quality elements are changed before and after the first level. A plurality of preview images, and the detailed preview display means for the one preview image selected for each of the plurality of preview images for the plurality of image quality elements displayed in the basic preview. There may be a case in which a detailed preview image in which each of a plurality of image quality elements in the display is changed by one or more second levels finer than the first level is displayed.
In this case, detailed composite preview image display means for displaying one preview image based on each selected image quality element when each of the preview images for the plurality of image quality elements displayed in the basic preview is selected. Further, the image forming apparatus may be provided.
As yet another example, the basic preview display means displays, for the read image, a preview image in which the image quality element is not changed and a plurality of preview images in which only one image quality element is changed before and after the first level. The detailed preview display means sets one image quality element in the basic preview display from the first level for a part of the selected preview images among the plurality of preview images displayed in the basic preview display. A detailed preview image that is changed by one or two or more second levels may be displayed.
The predetermined predetermined image quality element includes any one or more of image brightness, contrast, RGB degree, gray scale degree, gamma correction amount, two gradation degree, soft degree, sharpness degree, and edge enhancement degree. However, these are merely examples, and selection of other image quality elements is also included in the scope of the present invention.
Further, these image reading devices create an output image in which the image quality of the read image is changed to the image quality of the preview image selected from the detailed preview images displayed by the detailed preview display means, and the output image Can be applied to an image forming apparatus that forms and outputs an image.

  As is apparent from the above, according to the present invention, since it is configured as described above, the read image is converted into one or two or more first predetermined values for a predetermined image quality element. In an image reading apparatus that displays a plurality of preview images that are changed by a level and that omits some of the pixels, an image reading apparatus that can simplify the process of finally reaching the optimum preview image desired by the user, and such an image An image forming apparatus including a reading device can be provided.

1 is a block diagram showing a control system of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention can be applied. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure until printing of the image forming apparatus X according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print screen of the image forming apparatus X according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a print preview screen of the image forming apparatus X according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a print preview screen of the image forming apparatus X according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a print preview screen of the image forming apparatus X according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings so that the present invention can be understood. The following embodiment is an example embodying the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

  First, an image reading apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

An image forming apparatus X according to an embodiment of the present invention is an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile machine, and prints a plurality of pages of page images stored in advance in a data storage unit such as a hard disk. A print preview function for displaying a print preview image of the page image on the display unit based on the data for use is provided.
First, the structure of the main part of the image forming apparatus X according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG.
The image forming apparatus X is a so-called multifunction machine having a scanner function, a print function, a copy function, and a facsimile function.
As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus X includes a main control unit 1, an operation / display unit 2, a data storage unit 3, an image processing calculation unit 4, a NIC 5, a scanner unit 6, a printing unit 7, a facsimile unit 8, and the like. They are connected in such a way that information can be exchanged through the bus 11.
The operation / display unit 2 includes an operation unit 2a for inputting information and a display unit 2b for displaying information (including images). The operation unit 2a is, for example, a touch panel or a sheet key provided on the surface of the liquid crystal display device. The display unit 2b is, for example, a liquid crystal display device. The operation / display unit 2 constitutes a man-machine interface for the user.
Buttons such as a preview image to be described later and which preview image to select are displayed and input on the operation / display unit 2.
The data storage unit 3 is a readable / writable large-capacity non-volatile memory that stores processing data as necessary when processing image data obtained by reading from a document or printing processing of image data. .
Image data for printing, preview image data thereof, or image data corresponding to the preview image is stored in the data storage unit 3.

  The image processing arithmetic unit 4 is constituted by a dedicated signal processing circuit or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) or the like, performs various image processing on the image data, and forms a print job described in a predetermined print job description language into an image. Processing to convert to bitmap image data to be used, processing to generate image data to be transmitted to an external device (for example, image data having been subjected to predetermined encoding such as JPEG format), and the like are performed.

The NIC 5 receives data (including data of an image read by the scanner unit 6) with an external device such as an information processing terminal or an e-mail server through a network including a LAN and the Internet conforming to the standard IEEE 802.3, for example. It is a communication interface which transmits / receives.
The scanner unit 6 converts an image formed on a document from a document placed on a glass document table (not shown) or a document conveyed by an ADF (not shown) to a color (R, G, B). ) Is a color scanner that distinguishes and reads. The image data for printing is read here. When the multifunction machine X functions as a facsimile, the image data read here is converted into data for transmission by the image processing calculation unit 4 and transmitted by facsimile.

  The print unit 7 is a so-called print engine controlled by the main control unit 1, and sequentially feeds recording sheets stored in a sheet feeding cassette (not shown) one by one, and passes through a predetermined image forming position to a sheet discharge tray. Recording paper (recording paper) based on the image data of the original read from the original by the scanner unit 6 and the image data for printing generated by the image processing calculation unit 4 at the image forming position. It is a set of components such as a device that forms (outputs) an image on an example) and an MPU that controls the device.

  The facsimile unit 8 includes communication means such as an NCU (Network Control Unit) and a modem, and performs dial-up and negotiation processing for determining a communication method with a communication partner (partner station). It transmits and receives facsimile data (image data read by the scanner unit 6) with the facsimile apparatus.

The main control unit 1 controls each of the scanner unit 6, the print unit 7, the facsimile unit 8, the operation / display unit 2, the data storage unit 3, and the image processing calculation unit 4.
For example, the main control unit 1 causes the printing unit 7 to execute a printing process (image forming process) based on a print job received through the NIC 5. Further, the main control unit 1 causes the facsimile unit 8 to execute a facsimile transmission process for calling a designated transmission destination telephone number and transmitting image data to be transmitted. Further, the main control unit 1 causes the scanner unit 6 to execute a scanning process for reading an image formed on the original from the original.
Further, the main control unit 1 is based on printing data (image data, print job data, etc.) relating to an image for one page or a plurality of pages (hereinafter referred to as page image) read from the document by the scanner unit 6. Print preview processing is also executed for causing the display unit 2b to display an image image (preview image) when the page image is output (image formation) to the recording paper.

Next, the procedure of print preview processing executed by the image processing apparatus X will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 2, the input screen shown in FIG. 3, and the print preview screens shown in FIGS. 4 to 6.
It is assumed that printing data is stored in advance in the data storage unit 3 before the processing shown in FIG. As described above, such print data is a print job input from the external device through the NIC 5 or image data read by the scanner unit 6.
The processing shown in FIG. 2 is performed for a predetermined level of density and image type among a plurality of predetermined image quality elements that can be set, such as image density, image type, brightness, saturation, sharpness, and the like. This is a case of displaying a plurality of preview images that are changed for the first level and in which some of the pixels are omitted. However, since there are many image quality elements as described above, this is an example, and in the present invention, the present invention is not limited to this, and preview images that are changed by a predetermined level for all set image quality elements are used. It can be displayed.
S1, S2,... Shown below represent identification symbols of processing procedures (steps).

First, the main control unit 1 displays a predetermined initial menu screen on the display unit 2b (S1), and monitors whether or not an operation for selecting a processing item in the initial menu has been performed through the operation unit 2a (S2). ).
When the main control unit 1 detects that an operation for selecting any processing item is performed during the display of the initial menu, the main control unit 1 executes a process corresponding to the operation.
That is, when the operation for the initial menu is an operation for requesting a printing process, the main control unit 1 asks which page of the read document what image quality is to be changed, that is, a printing process input. The screen is displayed on the display unit 2b as shown in FIG.
The print processing input screen shown in FIG. 3 includes windows 11a and 11b for inputting a page (or pages) that need to be printed and a plurality of image quality elements (contrast, RGB degree, gray scale degree, gamma correction amount, second floor). A plurality of image quality buttons 12 capable of selecting one or a plurality of image quality elements from the image type that is the tone level, the software level, the sharpness level, the edge enhancement level, and the like) are displayed. The user inputs numbers in these input windows and selects one or more of the plurality of image quality element input buttons 12.
The main control unit 1 responds to the input from the input screen shown in FIG. 3 with respect to the image of the specified original page (the first page when a plurality of pages are specified) as shown in FIG. ) Is displayed on the display unit 2b.
That is, it is determined whether an image quality element has been selected (S4), and a preview screen (FIG. 4A) for the selected image quality element is displayed (S5).
As described above, in this example, the case where the user selects the density and the image type as the image quality element is displayed.
The image type referred to here is a character image (an image formed only of white or black dots excluding gray, a halftone image determined by a predetermined softness, or their image type). It is defined as a concept that refers to the type of image that is an intermediate halftone image.

  Here, since the density and the image type are selected, the main control unit 1 sets an initial value (= 1) for the variable i representing the page number and then stores it as a processing target in the data storage unit 3. A preview image for the print data is created (S5).

  The preview processing here refers to a plurality of preview images obtained by changing the read image by a predetermined first level or two or more first levels with respect to a predetermined image quality element and omitting some of the pixels. The main control unit 1 that is a process of creating and displaying and executing a program that defines this process is the basic preview display means in the present invention.

FIG. 4A shows a preview image 13a in which some of the pixels of the read current document image are omitted, and the density of the read current document image is changed by a predetermined first level. A plurality of preview images 13b, 13c, 13d in which some of the pixels are omitted and a plurality of images in which the image type is changed by a predetermined first level and a part of the pixels are omitted for the read current original image. A preview image 13e, 13f, 13g, and a comment 13h for requesting to select one or a plurality of preview images from these preview images are displayed.
Regarding the first level of density, the lightest case 13b and the darkest case 13d are obtained by changing the density considerably compared to the current preview image 13a. Even if it is determined, the user may be arbitrarily determined.
The first level for the image type displays 13e when it is closest to the character image and 13g when it is the lightest halftone. The intermediate case 13f may be the same as the current state, but an intermediate level between the above-mentioned 13e closest to the character image and the lightest halftone 13g may be displayed. Regarding the first level, the degree of change may be determined in advance or may be determined arbitrarily by the user.

When the display of FIG. 4A is performed as described above, the main control unit 1 subsequently determines which of the preview images 13a to 13g shown in FIG. 4A has been selected (S6). ). If no preview image is selected, wait until it is selected.
When a preview image is selected by the user, a preview image at a more detailed level is displayed for the selected preview image (S7).
FIG. 4B shows a monitor screen showing a detailed preview image image displayed by the main control unit 1 as a result of selecting the intermediate preview image 13c regarding density as an example.
That is, in FIG. 4B, the predetermined image quality element (this predetermined image quality element) is selected for a part of the selected preview images 13c among the plurality of preview images displayed as shown in FIG. In this case, a detailed preview image is displayed in which the case density is changed by one or more second levels that are finer than the first level. The main control unit 1 that executes the program for performing such detailed preview display is an example of the detailed preview display control means.

In FIG. 4B, the same preview image 13c ′ as the preview image 13c selected in FIG. 4A is displayed at the left end, and in the upper right side, −1 to 1 in the direction of decreasing the density of the preview image 13c. Preview images 13i, 13j, and 13k that are finely displayed in three stages up to -3, and in the lower right side, preview images 13l that are finely displayed in three stages from +1 to +3 in the direction of increasing the density of the preview image 13c. , 13m, and 13n are displayed, respectively, and a comment 13p indicating that one of the preview images 13i to 13n should be selected is displayed.
As a result, the user can select the image quality element (density) that he / she has specified in more detail when there is no preview image having the desired density in the stepwise change at the coarse density level shown in FIG. A preview image of an image quality element (density) desired by the user can be selected from the changed preview image (S8), and an image with an appropriate image quality that cannot be obtained in FIG. 4A can be selected.
When one of the detailed preview images is selected, the main control unit 1 converts the read image into an image quality level at which the preview image selected at the detailed level as described above is created, Thereafter, a printing process is executed (S9).
Thereafter, the preview process and the print process of S4 to S9 are executed for all input pages, and then the process ends (S10).

  In this example, for the read image, the basic preview display means includes a preview image that does not change the image quality element and a plurality of two or more image quality elements in which two or more image quality elements are changed before and after the first level. The detailed preview display means for one preview image selected for one image quality element of the plurality of preview images for the plurality of image quality elements displayed in the basic preview, A detailed preview image obtained by changing one designated image quality element in the basic preview display by one or more second levels finer than the first level is displayed, and other image quality elements not designated are displayed. For the preview image of the first preview image, the preview image remains unchanged for the first level in the basic preview display. It is intended to display a view image.

In the above-described embodiment, the read image is previewed for two image quality elements of density and image type. However, since the image type is satisfactory with the current image (as it is read), the image type is changed in stages. The preview image was an exceptional case.
However, according to the present invention, it is possible to cope with the case where a plurality of preview images corresponding to the two or more image quality elements are selected for the preview image changed for two or more image quality elements. For example, in the above example, any one of the preview images 14b, 14c, and 14d (for example, 14c) in which the density is changed as shown in FIG. 5A, and any of the preview images 14e, 14f, and 14g in which the image type is changed. (For example, 14f) is also planned.
In this case, the preview image 14cf ′ shown in FIG. 5B is selected from the density of the selected preview image among the preview images 14b, 14c, and 14d and the preview image 14e, 14f, and 14g. The preview image has the image quality of both the image types in the preview image, that is, the preview image of the image in which the two image quality is synthesized. That is, the preview image 14cf ′ displayed at the left end of FIG. 5B is a preview image having the density and image type selected in FIG. 5A, and the selected preview image 14c in the upper stage. Preview images 14j, 14j, and 14k in which the density of the image is finely changed one step each in the plus and minus are displayed, and in the lower row, the image type of the selected preview image 14f is finely changed in one step each in the plus and minus. The preview images 141, 14m, and 14n thus displayed are displayed.
In this example, for the read image, the basic preview display means includes a preview image that does not change the image quality element and a plurality of two or more image quality elements in which two or more image quality elements are changed before and after the first level. A plurality of preview images in the basic preview display for the one preview image selected for each of the plurality of preview images for the plurality of image quality elements displayed in the basic preview. A detailed preview image in which each of the image quality elements is changed by one or two or more second levels finer than the first level is displayed.
As described above, when the preview images for the plurality of image quality elements displayed in the basic preview are selected, the main control unit 1 executes a process of displaying one preview image based on each selected image quality element. This is an example of the detailed composite preview image display means in the present invention.

In the above example, the density and image type are adopted as the designated image quality elements, but it goes without saying that any of the predetermined image quality elements shown in FIG. 3 may be selected.
It should be noted that there may be three or more image quality elements to be selected.

Still other aspects of the present invention are contemplated.
For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, for the image read by the basic preview display means, the preview image 15a that does not change the image quality element and only one image quality element (for example, density) are the first level. A plurality of preview images 15b, 15c, 15d changed before and after minutes are displayed, and the detailed preview display means displays a plurality of preview images 15b displayed in the basic preview shown in FIG. Details of a part of the selected preview images of 15c and 15d, in which one image quality element (density) in the basic preview display is changed by one or more second levels finer than the first level. Preview images 15i, 15j, and 15k are displayed.
Comments 15h and 15p for requesting image selection are the same as those in FIGS.
In this case, since only one image quality factor is changed, the processing load can be reduced.

  The present invention can be applied to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multi-function machine including a plurality of these, and an image reading apparatus used in the image forming apparatus.

X ... Image forming apparatuses 13a-13p ... Preview images 14a-14p ... Preview images 15a-15 "p ... Preview image 1 ... Main control unit 2 ... Display / operation unit 11 ... Input window 12 ... Image quality element input button 20 ... Image reading Part S1, S2 ... Step

Claims (7)

Basic preview display means for displaying a plurality of preview images in which the read image is changed by a predetermined first level or two or more first levels with respect to a predetermined image quality element and a part of pixels are omitted. An image reading device,
With respect to some selected preview images of the plurality of preview images displayed by the basic preview display means, the predetermined predetermined image quality element is set to one or more second finer than the first level. An image reading apparatus comprising detailed preview display control means for performing a detailed preview display for displaying a detailed preview image that has been changed by the level of.   The predetermined image quality element is one or more of image brightness, contrast, RGB degree, gray scale degree, gamma correction amount, two gradation degree, soft degree, sharpness degree, edge enhancement degree. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:   The basic preview display means displays, for the read image, a preview image in which the image quality element is not changed and a plurality of preview images in which only one image quality element is changed before and after the first level. A preview display means selects one or more image quality elements in the basic preview display that are finer than the first level for one or more selected preview images of the plurality of preview images displayed in the basic preview display. 3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a detailed preview image changed by the second level is displayed.   The basic preview display means includes, for the read image, a preview image in which the image quality element is not changed and a plurality of preview images for the two or more image quality elements in which two or more image quality elements are changed before and after the first level. The detailed preview display means displays the basic preview for one preview image selected for one image quality element of the plurality of preview images for the plurality of image quality elements displayed in the basic preview. A detailed preview image obtained by changing the designated one image quality element by 1 or 2 or more second levels finer than the first level is displayed, and preview images for other image quality elements not designated are displayed. Is a preview image that has been changed by the first level in the basic preview display. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 is for displaying.   The basic preview display means includes, for the read image, a preview image in which the image quality element is not changed and a plurality of preview images for the two or more image quality elements in which two or more image quality elements are changed before and after the first level. Each of the plurality of image quality elements in the basic preview display for one preview image selected for each of the plurality of preview images for the plurality of image quality elements displayed in the basic preview. 3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a detailed preview image in which is changed by one or more second levels finer than the first level is displayed.   And a detailed composite preview image display means for displaying one preview image based on each selected image quality element when a preview image for each of the plurality of image quality elements displayed in the basic preview is selected. Item 6. The image reading apparatus according to any one of Items 4 and 5. An output image in which the image quality of the read image is changed to the image quality of the preview image selected from the detailed preview images displayed by the detailed preview display means according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is created, and the output image An image forming apparatus that forms an image and outputs the image.

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