JP2015069248A - Image processing apparatus, program, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processing apparatus configured to prevent images in all objects from being missed in edited data, in moving an object having an area overlapping another object.SOLUTION: An image processing apparatus includes: an object recognition unit 61 which recognizes attributes of an object to be edited in scan image data and a background object having an area overlapping the object to be edited; editing units (62, 65, 66) for editing the object to be edited on the basis of editing conditions set in a setting unit 4; and an object complementing unit 63 which complements a blank area of an image generated in the object to be edited and the background object due to editing of the object to be edited, according to the attribute recognized by the object recognition unit 61.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and program for editing an object included in read image data read by scanning or the like, and an image forming apparatus.

  In recent years, with the price reduction of storage devices, etc., cases of paper originals (original images) converted into data by scanning and stored / reused are increasing. Regarding storage of scanned image data (read image data) obtained by data conversion, for example, there is a method of storing each area in the data for each object such as a character, a photograph, and a graphic (Patent Document 1). Examples of the object separated from the scanned image data include a handwritten document (see Patent Documents 2 and 3).

  As described above, in an image processing apparatus that handles scanned image data in units of objects, each object can be edited. For example, when an object to be edited is moved and edited, an image is missing in the background object. May occur.

  There is a technique for complementing such a missing portion of the background object so that the scanned image data after editing can be reused (Patent Document 4).

  However, the complementary technique such as cited document 4 can only complement the background object for the object to be edited, and is insufficient to reuse the scanned image data after editing.

  In other words, the editing target object may have an overlapping area with the foreground object, so that an image loss may occur in the overlapping area with the foreground object due to movement. For this reason, there is a possibility that a missing portion of the image remains in the scanned image data after editing.

JP 2009-193254 A JP 2005-175565 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-162102 JP-A-11-355548

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is that there is a possibility that an image missing portion may occur in the read image data after editing by editing an object having an overlapping area with another object.

  The present invention provides an edit target object in read image data and an overlap region for the edit target object in order to eliminate a missing portion of the image on the read image data after editing by editing an object having an overlap region with another object. An object recognition unit for recognizing an attribute of another object, an editing processing unit for editing the editing target object based on a set editing condition, and the editing target object and the other object by editing the editing target object The main feature of the image processing apparatus is that the image processing apparatus includes a complementing unit that complements the missing part of the image generated in the object according to the attribute recognized by the object recognition unit.

  According to the present invention, the missing portion of the image generated in the object to be edited on the read image data is also complemented, so that the image on the read image data after editing by editing an object having an overlapping area with another object can be obtained. Missing parts can be eliminated.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of an image processing apparatus. It is the schematic which shows an example of a scan image. It is a flowchart which shows the object recognition process of a scanned image. It is a graph which shows the object table based on an object recognition process result. 6 is a flowchart illustrating scan image editing processing. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the example of a setting of the edit conditions with respect to a scanned image. It is a figure which shows the edit object which has been deleted from the scanned image and has a blank area. It is a figure which shows the example of a scanned image which has a blank area | region in the background object of an edit object. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an object to be edited in which the blank area in FIG. 7 is complemented. It is a figure which shows the example of a scan image which has a background object which complemented the blank area | region of FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a scanned image after object editing.

  Image processing that complements the missing part of the image on the read image data for the purpose of eliminating the missing part of the read image data after editing by editing the object that has an overlapping area with other objects Realized by the device.

  In other words, the image processing apparatus edits an edit target object in the read image data and an object recognition unit for recognizing the attribute of another object having an overlapping area with respect to the edit target object, and the edit target object is edited based on the set editing condition. An editing processing unit to process, and a storage unit that complements the missing part of the image generated in the editing target object and other objects by the editing process of the editing target object according to the attribute of each object.

  The editing processing unit performs editing by deleting the editing target object from the read image data and adding it to the reading image data in a size and position according to the editing conditions, and the complementing unit deletes the editing target object. The missing part of the image generated in the object to be edited and other objects is complemented.

  The image processing apparatus of the present invention can be applied to a copier, a digital multifunction peripheral, a scanner apparatus, or the like, and can finally output an image based on read image data after editing. Image output is realized by printing output in the case of a copier or digital multifunction peripheral, and by outputting an image on a monitor in the case of a scanner device.

  Examples of the present invention will be described below.

[Image processing device]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  The image processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is configured as, for example, a copier or a digital multi-function peripheral. A scanner (original reading) function for reading a paper original (original image), and a copy for printing out based on scanned image data read by the scanner function. And a printing function such as an editing function for editing scanned image data for each object.

  For this reason, the image processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes an image reading unit 2, an operation panel unit 3, an output unit 5, a control unit 6, a storage unit 7, and the like as hardware configurations.

  The image reading unit 2 optically reads a document image and generates scan image data corresponding to the document image. The generated scan image data is output to the control unit 6 and the storage unit 7.

  The display unit 3 is a screen or the like for displaying an operation status for the image processing apparatus 1 and can display an operation status or the like for editing setting of scan image data.

  The setting unit 4 performs operation input to the image processing apparatus 1 using various keys. The setting unit 4 is configured by, for example, a touch panel screen together with the display unit 3, or is configured by a button or the like different from the screen. The setting unit 4 enables editing operation of scanned image data.

  The output unit 5 forms an image on a sheet (image output) based on the scanned image data or the like.

  The control unit 6 is a control element such as a CPU (Central Process Unit) that executes a software program to perform various controls and operations.

  The storage unit 7 is a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), or a hard disk for storing various control and work software programs and data.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 6 executes the program stored in the storage unit 7, thereby causing the object recognition unit 61, the deletion unit 62, the complementing object complementing unit 63, the selection unit 64, the editing unit 65, It operates as an adding unit 66.

  The object recognition unit 61 receives the scan image data from the image reading unit 2 and recognizes the attribute of the object in the scan image data. In this embodiment, in addition to the attribute of the object, its position and size (region coordinates) are recognized. The attributes and area coordinates of these objects are stored in the object table 71 (see FIG. 4) in the storage unit 7 as object information together with an object ID for identifying the object.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of a scanned image. The scan image G1 in FIG. 2 includes an image area IR composed of drawings such as photographs, vector areas VR1 and VR2 composed of line drawings, and text areas TR1 and TR2 composed of characters.

  These image area IR, vector areas VR1 and VR2, and text areas TR1 and TR2 are recognized as image object IO, vector objects VO1 and VO2, and text objects TO1 and TO2, respectively.

  The object recognition unit 61 of FIG. 1 includes an image object recognition unit 611, a vector object recognition unit 612, and a text object recognition unit 613, and performs recognition and storage of object information in the storage unit 7 for each object.

  Referring to the example of FIG. 2, the image object recognition unit 611 recognizes the image object IO of the scanned image G1 and stores object information.

  The recognition of the image object IO may be performed using a well-known layout analysis technique. For example, a binary image is generated from the scanned image G1, and the attribute is recognized based on a rectangular region including a cluster of black pixels obtained from the binary image. Similar layout analysis techniques may be used for the recognition of the vector objects VO1 and VO2 and the text objects TO1 and TO2.

  The vector object recognition unit 612 recognizes the vector objects VO1 and VO2 of the scan image G1, and the text object recognition unit 613 recognizes the text objects TO1 and TO2, and stores the object information in the storage unit 7, respectively.

  The deleting unit 62 constitutes an editing processing unit together with an editing unit 65 and an adding unit 66 described later, and includes an object acquisition unit 621, a front and rear object acquisition unit 622, and a deletion execution unit 623.

  The object acquisition unit 621 acquires object information of an object to be edited from the storage unit 7 when editing a scanned image.

  The front and rear object acquisition unit 622 searches the storage unit 7 for object information of the front and rear objects having an overlapping area with respect to the editing target object. Here, the preceding and following objects correspond to a foreground object above the editing target object and a background object below the editing target object, respectively.

  The deletion execution unit 623 deletes the editing target object in the scanned image G1.

  In the scanned image, depending on the degree of overlap between the editing target object and the foreground and background objects, the deletion of the editing target object causes a missing portion (blank area) of one or both of the editing target object and the background object. (See KR1 in FIG. 7 and KR2 in FIG. 8).

  The object complementing unit 63 complements the missing part of the image of the edit target object and the missing part of the background object image by different processes according to attributes, and includes an image complementing part 631, a vector complementing part 632, text The supplement part 633 is provided.

  The image complementing unit 631 fills a blank area in the image object and performs complementation. Specifically, a gradation is created from pixels around the blank part, and the blank part is filled with the created gradation.

  The vector complementing unit 632 performs complementation by filling a blank area in the vector object, and can be realized by vectorization of the vector object. If vectorization is difficult, complementation by the image complementing unit 631 may be performed using a vector object as an image object.

  The text complementing unit 633 fills in blanks in the text object and performs complementation. Completion may be performed by filling a blank portion so as to match or approximate the corresponding font by comparing the font in the text object with the font held in the storage unit 7.

  The selection unit 64 performs processing with relatively high complementarity from the image complementing unit 631, the vector complementing unit 632, and the text complementing unit 633 according to the attributes of the editing target object and the background object that need to be complemented. Select what you want to complete in. The selection is performed based on the object information of the editing target object and the background object acquired by the deletion unit 62.

  The editing unit 65 edits the editing target object deleted from the scanned image by the deletion executing unit 623 according to the editing conditions set by the setting unit 4. Specifically, editing such as enlargement, reduction, rotation, and movement of the object to be edited is performed.

The adding unit 65 adds the object to be edited after being edited by the editing unit 65 to the scanned image from which the object to be edited has been deleted with a size and a position corresponding to the editing condition.
[Operation of image processing apparatus]
The scan image editing process will be described below together with the operation of the image processing apparatus of the present embodiment.

  The image processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment performs object recognition processing on scanned image data obtained by reading a document image in advance, and stores object information for each object in the storage unit 7.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing object recognition processing in the image processing apparatus of FIG. The object recognition process in FIG. 3 starts by reading a document image by the image reading unit 2, for example.

  In step S1, “acquisition of scanned image data” is performed. In this process, the image data of the corresponding scan image G1 is generated from the document image read by the image reading unit 2 and output to the object recognition unit 61 and the storage unit 7.

  When step S1 is completed in this way, as in steps S2 to S4 in FIG. 3, the processes of “image object recognition”, “vector object recognition”, and “text object recognition” are performed in order. Note that these steps S2 to S4 can be performed in a different order.

  The image object recognition will be described with reference to the example of FIG. 2. The image object recognition unit 611 recognizes the image area IR as the image object IO from the scanned image G 1, its attribute (“image”), and its position and size (area). (Coordinate) object information is stored in the storage unit 7. As the position and size (region coordinates) of the object of this embodiment, for example, the upper left coordinates of the object and the width and height of the region (x, y, width (width), height ( Expressed as height)).

  Similarly, in the recognition of the vector object, the vector object recognition unit 612 recognizes the vector regions VR1 and VR2 as the vector objects VO1 and VO2, and stores the attribute (“vector”), position, and size as object information. To remember.

  In the text object recognition, the text object recognition unit 613 recognizes the text regions TR1 and TR2 as the text objects TO1 and TO2, and stores the attributes (“text”), the position, and the size in the storage unit 7 as object information. To do.

  The object information is stored as an object table 71 in the storage unit 7 of FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a chart showing the object table. 4 shows an example in which object information of five objects “image”, “text”, “text”, “vector”, and “vector” recognized from the scan image G1 shown in FIG. 2 is registered. It is.

  Specifically, the object table 71 is a table composed of an object ID column, an object attribute column, and an area coordinate column.

  The object ID column is an integer value starting from 0 for identifying the object, and is incremented according to the input order or the like.

  The object attribute column indicates the attribute of the object, and is “image”, “vector”, and “text”.

  The area coordinate column represents the coordinates of the position and size of the object area on the scan image G1 in FIG.

  When the object information storage of each object in the scan image G1 is completed by the object recognition process of FIG. 3, the scan image editing process can be executed.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the scan image editing process.

  In the scan image editing process, the user performs an editing condition setting operation such as enlargement, reduction, rotation, and movement of a specific object via the setting unit 4 with respect to the scan image data stored in the storage unit 7. Is started. Note that all of these editing conditions realize editing that changes the relative position of the object to be edited with respect to other objects.

  FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of setting editing conditions for a scanned image. In this example, with respect to the scan image G1 of FIG. 2, the editing condition is set to move the vector object VO1 from the original position P0 to the position P1 indicated by the two-dot chain line.

  In this case, the editing object is a vector object VO1, the image object IO is a background object, and the text object TO2 is a foreground object.

  When the editing process is started by setting the editing conditions of the editing target object (movement of the vector object VO1 in FIG. 6), “obtain object information of the editing target object” is first performed in step S11.

  In this process, the object acquisition unit 621 of the deletion unit 62 acquires object information of a specific editing target object for which an editing condition setting operation has been performed in the scanned image data. In the example of FIG. 6, the object information of the vector object VO1 is acquired.

  When the process of step S11 is completed in this way, the process proceeds to step S12.

  In step S12, “search for object information of preceding and following objects” is performed. In this process, the object acquisition unit 622 before and after the deletion unit 62 searches for object information of the foreground and background objects of the edit target object of the scanned image.

  Specifically, the front and rear object acquisition unit 622 refers to the object table 71 and searches for object information of a background object and a foreground object having a region overlapping with the editing target object from information such as region coordinates.

  When the process of step S12 is completed in this way, the process proceeds to step S13.

  In step S13, “deletion of edit target object” is performed. In this process, the deletion execution unit 623 of the deletion unit 62 deletes the editing target object from the scanned image data, and the process proceeds to step 14.

  In step S <b> 14, a process of “Is there an image blank area in the object?” Is performed. In this process, it is determined whether or not a blank area of the image exists in the deleted object to be edited and the object in the scanned image after the deletion.

  That is, when there is a background object that overlaps the editing target object, the deletion of the editing target object causes a blank area corresponding to the overlapping area with the editing target object in the background object. On the other hand, when there is a foreground object that overlaps the editing target object, a blank area corresponding to the overlapping area with the foreground object is generated in the deleted editing target object itself.

  In this embodiment, the presence or absence of these blank areas is determined by the presence or absence of foreground and background objects that overlap the object to be edited (VO1 in FIG. 6) in the original scan image (G1 in FIG. 6). Specifically, based on the search result in step S12, it is determined whether or not there are foreground and background objects overlapping the editing target object in the original scan image.

  FIG. 7 shows an edit target object having a blank area deleted from the scan image, and FIG. 8 shows an example of a scan image having a blank area in the background object of the edit target object.

  In FIG. 7, a blank area KR1 of an image corresponding to the text (“ABC”) portion of the text object TO2 that is the foreground object is generated in the vector object VO1 deleted from the scanned image G1 as the editing target object.

  Further, in FIG. 8, the vector object VO1 that is the object to be edited is deleted, so that an image blank area KR2 corresponding to the overlapping area with the vector object VO1 is generated in the image object IO that is the background object.

  In step S14, as a result of the above determination, if there is a blank area in the object to be edited or the background object as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the process proceeds to step S15 (YES). On the other hand, if there is no blank area in the object to be edited or the background object, the process proceeds to step S16 (NO).

  In Step S15, “blank area complement” is performed. In this processing, the object complementing unit 63 complements the blank area of the image generated in one or both of the editing object and the background object.

  Specifically, the selection unit 64 performs a complementing method (complementing algorithm) corresponding to the object attribute for one or both of the editing object and the background object having a blank area, that is, an image complementing unit 631 and a vector complementing unit. 632 or the text complementing unit 633 is selected.

  Then, the blank area of one or both of the editing object and the background object is complemented according to the object attribute by the selected complement unit.

  FIG. 9 shows an object to be edited that complements the blank area of FIG. 7, and FIG. 10 shows an example of a scanned image having a background object that complements the blank area of FIG.

  In FIG. 9, the blank area KR <b> 1 generated in the vector object VO <b> 1 that is the object to be edited as shown in FIG. 7 is complemented by embedding the same image as the surrounding image by the vector complementing unit 632.

  Similarly, in FIG. 10, the blank area KR <b> 2 generated in the image object IO that is the background object background object as shown in FIG. 8 is complemented by embedding an image equivalent to the surrounding image by the image complementing unit 631. .

  When the completion of the object is thus completed, the process proceeds to step S16.

  In step S16, "edit object to be edited" is performed. In this process, based on the editing conditions set by the user, the editing unit 65 performs an editing process by enlarging, reducing, rotating, moving, etc. the object to be edited in which the blank area is complemented in step S15. Note that the objects to be edited here include those without a blank area.

  When step S16 is completed in this way, the process proceeds to step S17.

  In step S17, “add object after editing” is performed. In this process, the adding unit 66 adds the edited object that has been edited in step S16 to the scanned image G2 having the background object in which the blank area is complemented. Note that the scan image G2 here includes an image having a background object without a blank area.

  At this time, the adding unit 66 overwrites the scanned image data before editing stored in the storage unit 7 with the scanned image data of the scanned image G2 to which the edited object is added. When this overwriting is completed, the scan image editing process is completed.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a scanned image after object editing. In this example, the vector object VO1 in which the blank area KR1 of the image is complemented as shown in FIG. 9 is completed, and after the editing to move to the position P1, the image object IO in which the blank area KR2 of the image is complemented as shown in FIG. Is added to the scanned image data G2.
[Effect of Example 1]
In the image processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, an object recognition unit 61 that recognizes attributes of an editing target object in scanned image data and a background object having an overlapping area with respect to the editing target object, and an editing target object are set by the setting unit 4. An editing processing unit (62, 65, 66) that performs an editing process based on the edited editing conditions, and an attribute in which a blank area of an image generated in the editing target object and the background object by the editing process of the editing target object is recognized by the object recognition unit 61 And an object complementing unit 63 that complements according to the above.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, not only the blank area of the image generated in the background object having the overlapping area with the object to be edited but also the missing part of the image generated in the object to be edited itself can be complemented, and the scan after editing It is possible to eliminate the missing part of the image with respect to the data.

  In this embodiment, the deletion execution unit 623 edit processing unit deletes the object to be edited from the scan image data by the object complementing unit 63 and also uses the adding unit 66 to scan image data at the size and position edited by the editing unit 65. Edit by adding to. The object complementing unit 63 supplements the blank area of the image generated in the editing target object and the background object by deleting the editing target object.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to reliably complement the blank areas generated in the editing object and the background object.

  In the present embodiment, a plurality of complementing units 631, 632, and 633 that complement a blank area of an image by different processes and complementing units 631, 632, and 633 that perform complementing processing are used as attributes of the object to be edited and the background object. And a selection unit 64 that selects according to this.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to complement the blank area of the image generated in the editing target object and the background object using the optimum complementing algorithm.

1 Image processing device (image forming device)
61 Object recognition unit 62 Deletion unit (editing processing unit)
63 Object complement part (complement part)
631 Image complement (complement)
632 Complement part for vector (complement part)
633 Text completion (complement)
65 Editing Department (Editing Processing Department)
66 Additional part (editing part)

Claims (5)

An object recognition unit for recognizing an attribute of an edit target object in read image data and an attribute of another object having an overlapping area with respect to the edit target object;
An editing processing unit for editing the editing target object based on a set editing condition;
A complementing unit that complements the missing part of the image generated in the editing target object and other objects by the editing process of the editing target object according to the attribute recognized by the object recognition unit;
An image processing apparatus comprising: The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The editing processing unit edits the editing target object by deleting it from the read image data and adding it to the read image data in a size and position according to the editing conditions,
The complementing part complements the missing part of the image generated in the editing target object and other objects by deleting the editing target object,
An image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
A plurality of complementary parts that complement the missing part of the image by different processing;
A selection unit that selects the complementing unit that performs the complementing process according to the attributes of the object to be edited and the other object; and
An image processing apparatus comprising:   An image forming apparatus comprising the image processing apparatus according to claim 1. An object recognition function for recognizing an attribute of an edit target object in read image data and an attribute of another object having an overlapping area for the edit target object;
An editing function for editing the object to be edited based on a set editing condition;
A complementing function for complementing the missing part of the image generated in the editing target object and other objects by the editing process of the editing target object according to the attribute recognized by the object recognition unit;
Editing data creation program characterized by causing a computer to execute.