JP2593056B2 - Image processing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for determining color adjustment based on a display image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a method of displaying, correcting, and processing a color image and taking a hard copy, the system shown in FIG. 1 is considered. The image data in the large-capacity image memory 15 (for example, magnetic disk, tape, etc.)
Data is transferred via the communication line 14 to the image memory 4 located near the terminal 2. The memory capacity of the image memory 4 is, for example, 512 × 512 × 8 bits blue-violet (BLU).
E VIOLET, hereinafter B), green (GREE
N, hereinafter referred to as G), and red (RED, hereinafter referred to as R) for three colors.
It can be monitored by the monitor 9.

On the other hand, the contents of the image memory 4 can be connected to processing by the CPU of the terminal 2 and output to the color printer 13 by switching the switch 5.

Here, an image is output to the color printer 13,
When printing, a halftone for a color printer which is adjusted by a color conversion circuit (for example, a masking circuit) 10 and a density conversion circuit 11 so as to have a desired color, and which can perform only binary recording by a halftone dot generator 12. Create dots for output.

Here, in order to monitor in advance the contents of the image at the time of hard copy output, a color conversion circuit (for example, a masking circuit) is also used during output to the color monitor 9.
6, a density conversion circuit 7 is inserted. The color conversion circuits 6 and 10 and the density conversion circuits 7 and 11 are functionally the same because of the difference in data transfer speed and the output target, but are different in circuit. The density conversion circuit 8
Is for correcting the output characteristics of the printer 13 and the output characteristics of the monitor 9 (CRT), and is an inverter or the like. However, adjust switch 5 so that the correction on the monitor is reflected.
Are linked.

FIG. 2 shows a color printer 4 as an example.
FIG. 2 shows a drum type color printer.
Reference numeral denotes a scanning optical system, which extracts required image information from an image memory (not shown) or the like as a light beam (laser beam) by the scanning optical system, and the light beam is cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), An image is formed on the photosensitive drums 19 arranged in parallel corresponding to black (Bl). A developing device 20 is disposed near the photosensitive drums 19 and a recording paper (not shown) is formed. A charger 22 is disposed on the side of the transport belt 21 for transport, facing the respective photosensitive drums 19.

[0007]

However, in the above system, the color conversion circuit (6 and 10) and the density conversion circuit (7
And 11) are required for each of a monitor and a printer, and have the disadvantage that the system configuration is large and complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has as its object to simplify the configuration by sharing a certain color adjusting means. It is a further object of the present invention to form a high-quality output image on which arbitrary color adjustment has been performed.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an image memory for storing a given color image signal, and a manual instruction for the image signal stored in the image memory. Color adjustment means for adjusting the color;
A color correction unit that performs color correction on the color-adjusted color image signal based on monitor characteristics and outputs the color-corrected color image signal to a display unit; and stores the color-adjusted color image signal before being input to the color correction unit into the image memory again. Storage means for storing, switching means for switching whether or not the color-adjusted color image signal is stored in the image memory; and color adjustment indicating a display image displayed on the display means using the switching means. Control means for controlling the stored color image signal to be stored again in the image memory, and output means for outputting a color-adjusted color image signal indicating the display image stored in the image memory to the image forming apparatus. It is characterized by having.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 shows a color processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image data in the large-capacity image memory 15 in the host computer 1 is taken into the image memory 4 at the request of the terminal 2. At this time, the DMA (d
direct memory access (switch 16 is B). The contents of the image memory are output to a monitor (for example, a CRT) 9 via a color conversion circuit 6 and density conversion circuits 7 and 8. Therefore, color adjustment is performed by looking at the monitor, and the finally determined image is stored in the memory 4.
In this method, the output time-series signal from the density conversion circuit 7 is switched to the input terminal of the memory 4 by switching the switch 16 to the A side.
This method will be described later. The converted image is CR
It can be monitored by the monitor 9 through the density correction circuit 8 for T. On the other hand, CPU processing from the terminal 2 via the interface 3 is also possible. Image data after processing is halftone dot
The signal is output to the color printer via the generator 12 (the switch 17 is on the C side). In the above system, only one set of the color conversion circuit and the density conversion circuit as described above is required, and the cost is reduced.

Next, the operation of the memory 4 will be described. The memory 4 divides the access time of one pixel into half, one for access to the CRT display 9 and the other for CP.
It is performed by time sharing, such as access time for U or color printer output. For this reason C
It has two address counters for memory access for PU display and memory address counter for CPU or color printer output, and can be switched alternately within one access time. Therefore, the two output data values are also C
サ イ ク ル cycle time alternately for RT and for CPU or color printer. To perform a CRT display without flicker, it is necessary to send data at about 70 ns per pixel of 512 × 512 pixels. This is not possible due to the current speed of the D-RAM. For this reason, the output data bus has a large capacity such as 64 bits and the speed is relatively low. The output of the CPU or color printer output may be much slower than the CRT output. For this reason, relatively slow data output to the CPU and the color printer is output with a gate time of サ イ ク ル cycle time. As described above, by performing the internal division by １ ／, the output data of the processing result of the above-described color conversion or the like is converted into C data.
Using half the time for PU or color printer,
You can write to the same memory. This means that the input data switch 16 is set to the A side, the switch 17 is opened or the circuit is cut off at the gate, and the output signal to the monitor of the half cycle time is changed in the next half cycle time. This is a write signal to the memory. As described above, since the data in the image memory 4 is converted into the corrected data, each memory can be independently output to the color printer 13 at a different timing. Therefore, output to a four-drum color printer is also possible. Furthermore,
The output information to the printer can be simultaneously monitored on the monitor.

As described in detail above, the present invention makes it possible to provide an optimal color processing system for hard copying a color, in particular, a displayed color image.

[0013]

As described above, according to the present invention, color adjustment means for displaying a color adjustment result to obtain a desired output image, and color adjustment means for forming the desired output image , The configuration can be simplified.
A switching unit for switching whether or not to store the color-adjusted color image signal in the image memory; and the color-adjusted color image signal indicating a display image displayed on the display unit using the switching unit. And control means for controlling the image data to be stored again in the image memory, so that the color image signal whose color has been adjusted can be stored again when the user desires. Color adjustment can be repeatedly performed on a color image signal until a desired final image is obtained.
Therefore, arbitrary color adjustment can be performed on the given color image signal, and a high-quality output image can be formed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional system for taking a hard copy of a color image.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a four-drum type color printer.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a color processing system according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 host computer 4 memory 9 monitor 13 color printer

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An image memory that stores a given color image signal; a color adjustment unit that adjusts a color of the image signal stored in the image memory based on a manual instruction; Color correction means for correcting the color based on the monitor characteristics and outputting the corrected color image signal to the display means; storage means for storing the color-adjusted color image signal before being input to the color correction means in the image memory; Switching means for switching whether or not the adjusted color image signal is stored in the image memory; and displaying the color-adjusted color image signal indicating a display image displayed on the display means using the switching means. Control means for controlling the image data to be stored again in the memory; and an image forming apparatus for outputting a color-adjusted color image signal indicating the display image stored in the image memory. And an output unit for outputting the image data to the image processing apparatus.