JP2012147177A - Apparatus synthesizing additional image with plurality of different colors into input image, and control method and program therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the following problem: addition of a plurality of bits of color information as data increases a resource such as memory capacity because of need for support of multiple colors of additional images (e.g. stamp).SOLUTION: By defining a plurality of pixels as sets, a pixel group is formed. When the pixel group has a first dot arrangement pattern, a first color is put on all pixels included in the pixel group. When the pixel group has a second dot arrangement pattern, a second color is put on all pixels included in the pixel group.

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for synthesizing an additional image having a plurality of different colors with an input image, a control method therefor, and a program.

  Digital color MFPs for office use are equipped with a variety of functions that support the creation of documents according to needs, and basic functions that must have so-called stamp functions such as text, date, number of pages, and number of copies on a manuscript. It is.

  There are color multifunction peripherals equipped with a multicolor stamp printing function for expressing characters and patterns printed by this stamp function in different colors. Depending on the type of stamp printing, different colors are used for printing, so it is easy to distinguish the stamp type.

  In order to realize the multi-color correspondence of this stamp as a hardware configuration, it is necessary to generate color information for each stamp to be combined with original image information.

  For example, in a stamp image addition generation process, a technique for realizing a multicolor representation of a stamp by a data configuration in which dedicated data indicating color correspondence is added in addition to the original image of the stamp is disclosed. (For example, Patent Document 1)

JP-A-6-311339

  However, in Patent Document 1, since data dedicated to color is added, resources such as the amount of data and memory capacity to be handled for the stamp image processing increase correspondingly, resulting in an increase in cost.

  In addition to the above-mentioned patent document 1, in order to perform image processing according to each area of a photograph or character of a document image, the bit having attribute information for each pixel generated together with the image signal is used. A method of decoding the bit information and combining the stamps in units of pixels is conceivable.

  However, attribute information has attribute information for each pixel in order to perform image processing in units of pixels. From this relationship, there is a problem that increasing the number of bits of attribute information affects the basic performance of the system such as memory capacity and data transfer speed.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, each component of claim 1 is provided. Specifically, a color corresponding to the dot arrangement pattern is given to the pixel.

  A plurality of additional images with different colors can be synthesized at a minimum memory cost.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image processing apparatus in the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the main controller in this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the setting screen of an operation part in this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the scanner image process part in this invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer image processing unit in the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the image synthetic | combination part in this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the arrangement | positioning information color table in this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example of a stamp setting process setting in this invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating scanner document reading processing according to the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the additional image generation part in this invention.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the image processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The image processing apparatus 100 is a complex machine that performs input / output and transmission / reception of images and various image processing. The image processing apparatus 100 includes a main controller 101, an operation unit 102 that is a user interface, a scanner 103 that is an image reading apparatus that reads an image such as a paper document, and a printer 104 that is an image output apparatus. The operation unit 102, the scanner 103, and the printer 104 are each connected to the main controller 101 and controlled by instructions from the main controller 101. Further, the main controller 101 is connected to the host PC 105 via a LAN (Local Area Network) or the like.

Next, the configuration of the main controller provided in the image processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described using the block diagram of FIG.
The main controller 101 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201 that is a main control unit. The CPU 201 is connected to a RAM 202, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 203, a flash 204, an image bus I / F 205, an operation unit I / F 206, and an external I / F 207 via a system bus 208.

  The RAM 202 is a readable / writable memory for providing a work area for the CPU 201 at any time. The RAM 202 is also used as an image memory for temporarily storing image data. A ROM 203 is a boot ROM, and stores a system boot program. The flash 204 is a non-volatile memory, and stores system software, set value data, and the like that need to be retained even after the data processing apparatus 100 is powered off.

  The operation unit I / F 206 is an interface for performing input / output with the operation unit 102. The operation unit I / F 206 outputs image data to be displayed to the operation unit 102 and transmits various setting information input by the user via the operation unit 102 to the CPU 201.

An external I / F 207 is an interface for external connection via a LAN or the like, and inputs and outputs print data and the like with the host PC 105.
An HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 208 is a nonvolatile storage device that stores various stamp images in addition to various data such as image data, job logs, and individual user data.

  An image bus I / F 205 is an interface that connects the system bus 209 and an image bus 216 that transfers image data at high speed, and operates as a bus bridge that converts a data structure.

  A RIP (Raster Image Processor) 210, a device I / F 211, a scanner image processing unit 212, a printer image processing unit 213, an image compression / decompression unit 214, and an additional image generation unit 215 are connected to the image bus 216.

  The RIP 210 generates raster data based on DL (Display List) generated by converting the PDL (Page Description Language) data received from the external I / F 207 by the CPU 201.

  The device I / F 211 is an interface that connects the scanner 103, the printer 104, and the main controller 101, and converts input / output data using synchronous / asynchronous conversion of image data and a buffer memory (not shown). Hold temporarily.

  The scanner image processing unit 212 performs various image processing on the image data read by the scanner 103. Furthermore, the attribute determination process of the read image data is performed to generate attribute data for each pixel. Details of the processing of the scanner image processing unit 212 will be described later.

  A printer image processing unit 213 performs processing such as color conversion, filter processing, and resolution conversion on output image data output to the printer 104. Here, the printer image processing unit 213 includes an image synthesis unit that performs a process of synthesizing the additional image with the input image. Details of the processing of the printer image processing unit 213 will be described later.

  The image compression / decompression unit 214 compresses image data using various methods such as JPEG for multi-valued image data, JBIG for binary image data, and run-length method.

  The additional image generation unit 215 generates a stamp image according to the stamp processing content set by the operation unit 102. Here, the additional image generation unit 215 determines a grouping unit of the additional image according to the color information of the additional image. Details of the processing of the additional image generation unit 215 will be described later.

Next, a setting screen of the operation unit 102 used when performing stamp processing according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
This figure is a schematic diagram showing a touch panel display comprising an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display: liquid crystal display unit) and a transparent electrode affixed thereon. It is programmed in advance to display a separate operation screen when a corresponding part of the transparent electrode is touched with a finger on a key such as a button or a pull-down menu displayed on the LCD. An operation screen can be displayed.

  This figure is displayed by pressing a stamp setting button on a copy setting screen (not shown) displayed by pressing the copy setting button from an initial screen (not shown).

  A stamp position setting button 301 is used to set a position on a document on which a stamp image is printed. In the present embodiment, the upper left, upper, upper right, lower left, lower, lower right, and buttons for designating the center that is the center of the original are provided as positions on the original, and the upper right is selected.

  A print orientation setting button 302 is used to set the orientation of a document on which a stamp image is printed. In the present embodiment, setting buttons for the vertical print direction and the horizontal print direction are provided, and the vertical print direction is selected.

  The print position detailed setting button 303 is a button for calling a detailed setting screen (not shown) used when the stamp print position is set in detail. For example, when the stamp position specified by the stamp position setting button 601 is further finely adjusted. Used for.

  The print position preview 304 is a simple preview display of the positional relationship between the document and the stamp based on the settings of the stamp position setting button 301, the print orientation setting button 302, and the print position detail setting button 303 described above. is there.

  A print content setting button 305 is a button for setting a stamp image to be printed. The print content setting button in the present embodiment can set up to five stamp print settings, and press the tabs of stamp 1 to stamp 5 to set each stamp. The currently set stamp setting tab is highlighted (stamp 1), and the valid stamp setting tab is displayed on the screen (stamp 2 and stamp 3).

  The stamp valid setting button 306 is used to set validity / invalidity of stamp printing in the selected stamp setting tab. In this embodiment, the same button can be pressed and selected in a pull-down menu format. Stamp 1 (first additional image), stamp 2 (second additional image), and stamp 3 (third additional image) can be selected. The setting is valid.

  The print size setting button 307 is used to set the size of the stamp character. In the present embodiment, by pressing the button, a predetermined character size in points can be selected in a pull-down menu format.

  The print color setting button 308 is used to set the color of the stamp character. In the present embodiment, by pressing the button, a predetermined color such as red, blue, or green can be selected in a pull-down menu format.

  The stamp type setting button 309 is used to set characters or symbols to be stamp printed. In this embodiment, by pressing the same button as well, a predetermined stamp such as confidential or Confidential can be selected in a pull-down menu format, and characters and symbols arbitrarily designated by the user can be set as the stamp. .

  The stamp detailed setting button 310 is a button for calling a detailed setting screen (not shown) used when setting the details of stamp printing. For example, the stamp character transparent setting, the manuscript page setting on which the stamp character is printed, and the like. Used when doing.

  The stamp setting valid button 311 is used when reflecting the stamp setting described above. When the stamp setting button 311 is pressed, after the stamp setting is reflected, the screen returns to the copy setting screen (not shown). On the other hand, when the stamp setting is not reflected, the stamp setting cancel button 312 is pressed to return to the copy setting screen (not shown).

Next, the configuration of the scanner image processing unit 212 in the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the scanner image processing unit 212. The scanner image processing unit 212 is roughly divided into a DMA (Direct Memory Access) control unit 401, a pre-attribute image processing unit 402, an attribute determination unit 403, and a post-attribute determination image processing 404.

  The DMA control unit 401 autonomously performs data transfer without going through the CPU by designating a predetermined address and data transfer length in a memory map (not shown) provided in the main controller 101. In this embodiment, after the scanner 103 reads and digitizes, the image data stored in a buffer memory (not shown) provided in the device I / F 211 is read out to the scanner image processing unit 212, and the processed image data and attribute data are read out. Writing to the RAM 202 is performed. The image data is composed of RGB (Red Green Blue) color signals.

Next, image processing performed by the pre-attribute determination image processing unit 401 will be described.
The shading correction unit corrects variations in sensitivity of each pixel read by the scanner 103 and variations in the amount of light of the original illumination lamp, using a reference white plate reading signal. A color offset and sub-transfer transfer function (MTF) correction unit performs spatial deviation correction of each color constituting the image data and correction of image data reading unevenness by the scanner 103. Subsequently, the input gamma correction unit is a one-dimensional lookup table (hereinafter referred to as LUT: LookUp Table), and performs correction so that the exposure amount and the luminance have a linear relationship with respect to each RGB input. The input direct mapping unit is a three-dimensional LUT that converts an input RGB signal into an RGB signal in the device to unify the color space. The read color space determined by the spectral characteristics of the RGB filter of the CCD sensor is converted to sRGB. Convert to standard color space. The main MTF correction unit performs a weighted average for the pixel of interest and the left and right pixels, and performs MTF correction in the main scanning direction.

  Next, the attribute determination unit 403 further includes a character determination unit (not shown) and an achromatic color determination unit. The character determination unit performs pixel determination of the character area and the line drawing outline area in the RGB color space, and outputs the result as attribute data ZA. The achromatic color determination unit converts the image data in the RGB color space into image data in the luminance color difference space such as L * a * b * or YUV, and then performs pixel determination in the low saturation region, the black character, and the color character region, The result is output as attribute data ZB. Here, the attribute data ZA and ZB are collectively referred to as attribute data.

Next, image processing performed by the post-attribute determination image processing unit 404 will be described.
The spatial filter unit performs a filtering process on the luminance component using the attribute data. Specifically, if the attribute information is a character region, edge enhancement is performed, and if the attribute information is a photo region, filtering processing is performed using different sharpness filters such as smoothing or weak edge enhancement.

  The saturation suppression unit performs saturation suppression processing on pixels having low saturation attribute data. In order to represent a black character area with a single color of K (Black), processing is performed with a color difference of zero.

An ACS (Auto Color Select) unit counts pixels having low saturation attribute data and determines whether the image data is monochrome or color image.
In order to detect the background of the image data, the background sampling unit discretely samples pixels in a predetermined rectangular area and creates a luminance histogram. This histogram is used for background removal during print processing.
As described above, the scanner image processing unit 212 can generate attribute data.

Next, the configuration of the printer image processing unit 213 in the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal structure of the printer image processing unit 213.
The DMA control unit 501 autonomously performs data transfer without going through the CPU by designating a predetermined address and data transfer length in a memory map (not shown) provided in the main controller 101. In the present embodiment, the image data and attribute data stored in the HDD 208 are transferred to the print image processing unit 213, and the processed image data is transferred to a buffer memory (not shown) provided in the device I / F 211. I do.

  The raster conversion unit 502 converts the image data divided into block units stored in the RAM 108 via the memory controller unit 106 into a raster image by combining them in raster order.

The output masking unit 503 is a three-dimensional LUT, and converts image data in the RGB color space into image data in the CMYK color space.
The color balance unit 504 adjusts the hue and saturation of the image data in the CMYK color space according to a setting (not shown) in the operation unit 102.
The F value correction unit 505 adjusts the image brightness of the image data according to a setting (not shown) in the operation unit 102.

  The spatial filter unit 506 determines edge portions and thin line portions of the image using attribute data of pixels constituting the image data, and performs spatial filter processing such as edge enhancement and boundary portion smoothing.

  The gamma correction unit 507 is a one-dimensional LUT, performs correction processing according to the gamma characteristics of the printer engine unit, makes input / output proportional, and corrects so that natural gradation expression can be performed.

The image composition unit 508 performs a process of compositing various additional images such as stamp printing obtained from the attribute data with the image data. Details of the image composition unit 508 will be described later.
A trimming / masking unit 509 performs a blanking process for a margin part of a sheet to be printed and a frame erase area at the time of continuous page printing, and an extraction process of an effective image area to be printed.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the image composition unit 508.
The attribute data decoding unit 601 decodes the attribute data from the gamma correction unit 507 in units of pixels and generates position information indicating the presence / absence of an additional image of the corresponding pixel. In the present embodiment, the data length of the position information is 1 bit.

  The buffer memory 602 holds the image data input from the gamma correction unit 507 and the position information generated by the attribute data decoding unit 601 according to the grouping unit of additional images defined by the additional image generation unit 215. In the present embodiment, the grouping unit is 2 × 2 pixels, and has a memory capacity that can hold image data and position information for two lines. Furthermore, the buffer memory 602 is provided with a delay memory for correcting the spatial deviation between the image data output from the image composition unit 508 and the additional image generated by the arrangement information decoding unit 603.

  The arrangement information decoding unit 603 decodes the position information held in the buffer memory 602 by the grouping unit, and determines the additional image and the color of the additional image. In the present embodiment, the position information of 2 × 2 pixels, which is the grouping unit, is compared with an arrangement information color table indicating the relationship between the arrangement of the predetermined 2 × 2 pixel position information and the color of the additional image. The color of the additional image is determined. The arrangement information color table is set in a register (not shown) included in the image composition unit 508.

The synthesizing unit 604 synthesizes the image data and the additional image output from the arrangement information decoding unit 603. At this time, coloring is performed based on the determined color.
As described above, the print image processing unit 213 can perform stamp image synthesis processing.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of an arrangement information color table.
The arrangement information color table 701 includes an arrangement pattern 702 indicating the arrangement of the position information in units of grouping of additional images determined by the additional image generation unit 215 and corresponding colors 703.

  In the present embodiment, an arrangement pattern (dot arrangement pattern) 702 is an arrangement of the position information in 2 × 2 pixels (a pixel group composed of a plurality of pixels) as the grouping unit, and the number of patterns is 16, There are 16 corresponding colors 703. For example, when there is no position information in 2 × 2 pixels of the arrangement pattern 0x0 (0x indicates hexadecimal) (704), the color of the corresponding additional image is a transparent color and there is no additional image. Further, when there is position information only at the upper right in the 2 × 2 pixels of the arrangement pattern 0x1 (when the dot is ON) (705), the color of the corresponding additional image is black, and the 2 × 2 pixels are It becomes a black additional image. In other words, if the dot is ON only in the upper right, 2 × 2 pixels represent black. Further, when the dot is ON only in the upper left pixel, the 2 × 2 pixel is defined to represent green. In this example, the dot arrangement pattern in which only the upper right dot is ON is the first dot arrangement pattern, the black is the first color, and the dot arrangement pattern in which only the upper left dot is ON is the second dot arrangement pattern. Green can be referred to as the second color.

  Next, a process of combining the stamp image set by the operation unit 102 with the document read by the scanner 103 and outputting the combined image to the printer 104 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8, 9, and 10.

FIG. 8 shows the stamp processing setting specified by the operation unit 102 in this embodiment.
In the stamp setting 801, stamp 1, stamp 2, and stamp 3 are set to be valid (802). A stamp position 803, a print position 803, a print size 804, a print color 805, and a stamp type 806 are set for each validly set stamp.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the entire process from reading a document from the scanner 103 to outputting it to the printer 104.
The processing shown in the figure is started when a document is placed on the scanner 103, and a copy start button is pressed on the copy setting screen (not shown) on the operation unit 102 to start reading the document.

  First, the scanner 103 transmits the generated image data to the device I / F 211, and the device I / F 211 holds the image data in a buffer memory (not illustrated) included in the scanner 103 (S901). When the device I / F 211 holds a predetermined amount of image data, the device I / F 211 notifies the CPU 201 to that effect.

  Next, the CPU 201 instructs the scanner image processing unit 211 to start processing. Thereafter, the scanner image processing unit 211 reads out image data held in the buffer memory by the device I / F 211 and performs scanner image processing (S902). The scanner image processing unit 211 transmits image data and attribute data generated after processing to the RAM 202, and the RAM 202 stores these data. The image compression / decompression unit 214 reads out image data and attribute data processed by the scanner image processing unit 211 stored in the RAM 202, performs compression processing, and transmits these data to the RAM 202. The RAM 202 compresses the data. Store the data.

Next, the additional image processing unit 215 generates an additional image used in stamp processing as attribute data, and then compresses the additional image using the image compression / decompression unit 214 and stores the compressed image in the RAM 202 (S905). Details of the additional image generation processing will be described later.
Thereafter, the print image processing 213 reads out the compressed image data stored in the RAM 202 and the compressed attribute data stored in the RAM 202 using the compressed image decompression unit 214, reads out the decompressed image data, and the attribute data, and performs the print image processing. This is performed (S906). Here, the image composition unit 508 provided in the print image processing 213 performs stamp composition on the image data with the color of the additional image obtained from the attribute data based on the arrangement information.
After the remaining print image processing is completed, the image data is output to the printer via the device I / F 211 (S907), and the processing ends.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing additional image generation processing performed by the additional image generation unit 215.
The processing shown in the figure is started after the image compression / decompression unit 214 notifies the CPU 201 that the storage of the compressed image in S <b> 904 has ended, and after the CPU 201 notifies the additional image generation unit 215 of the start of operation.

  First, the additional image generation unit 215 acquires a stamp setting 801 set by the operation unit 102 and a predetermined arrangement information color table 701, and holds them in an internal register (not shown) included in the additional image generation unit 215 (S1001).

  Next, the grouping unit of the additional image to be generated is determined (S1002). In this embodiment, the grouping unit is 2 × 2 pixels based on the number of arrangement patterns in the arrangement information color table 701. Note that the method of determining the grouping unit is not limited to this, and may be determined according to the total number of print colors 805 of each stamp that has been effectively set. For example, in this embodiment, the total number of colors is 3 colors (red, blue, and green), which are 2 colors or more and 16 colors or less, and can be expressed in color by arrangement information of 4 pixels. Two pixels can be determined.

  Next, an additional image is generated based on the settings of the acquired stamp setting 801 in the print size 804, print color 805, stamp type 806, and arrangement information color table 701 (S1003). Specifically, based on the stamp setting 801, the CPU 201 generates DL using stamp image data stored in the HDD 208 in advance and font data stored in the ROM 203 corresponding to the stamp type 806. The additional image generation unit generates an additional image by replacing pixels constituting the raster data generated by the RIP 210 based on the generated DL with desired arrangement information based on the print color 805 and the arrangement information color table 701. To do. The arrangement information replacement processing is performed for the stamp settings (stamp 1, stamp 2, and stamp 3) that are set to be valid.

  Next, the generated additional image is merged with attribute information stored in the RAM 202 (S1004). Specifically, the attribute information is read from the RAM 202, and the presence / absence of an additional image is set for each predetermined pixel of the attribute data expanded by the image compression / decompression unit 214. Here, the generated attribute data represents one pixel of the actual stamp image with the pixels for the grouping unit. In this embodiment, if the grouping unit is 2 × 2 pixels and the original attribute data is 1200 dpi, the actual resolution of the stamp image is 600 dpi.

Finally, the attribute data in which the additional image information is set is compressed by the image compression / decompression unit 214 and then stored in the RAM 202, and the additional image generation process ends.
The present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various storage media, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, or the like) of the system or apparatus reads the program. It is a process to be executed.

  101 Main controller of image processing apparatus

Claims (4)

A device that combines a first additional image of a first color and a second additional image of a second color that is different from the first color into an input image,
In the pixel group consisting of a plurality of pixels, the first dot arrangement pattern represents the first color, and the second dot arrangement pattern represents the second color,
Means for generating an image in which the first additional image is represented by an aggregate of first dot arrangement patterns, and the second additional image is represented by an aggregate of second dot arrangement patterns;
In synthesizing the generated image with the input image, the first color is added to all the pixels included in the pixel group having the first dot arrangement pattern, and the pixel has the second dot arrangement pattern. And a synthesizing unit that adds the second color to all pixels included in the group.   The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generated image is included in attribute data when being sent to the synthesizing unit. A control method for an apparatus that synthesizes a first additional image of a first color with an input image and a second additional image of a second color that is different from the first color,
In the pixel group consisting of a plurality of pixels, the first dot arrangement pattern represents the first color, and the second dot arrangement pattern represents the second color,
Representing the first additional image as an aggregate of first dot arrangement patterns, and generating an image representing the second additional image as an aggregate of second dot arrangement patterns;
In synthesizing the generated image with the input image, the first color is added to all the pixels included in the pixel group having the first dot arrangement pattern, and the pixel has the second dot arrangement pattern. And a synthesizing step of applying the second color to all pixels included in the group.   A computer-readable program for causing a computer to execute the apparatus control method according to claim 3.

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