JP2655838B2 - Image registration search method of image filling system - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an image registration and retrieval method for an image filing system, and more particularly to an image registration and retrieval method which enables a multi-tone image to be retrieved quickly and accurately by an easy method. The present invention relates to an image registration and retrieval method of a filing system.

(Prior Art) In recent years, various image filing systems for filing various images using a large-capacity magnetic disk device or optical disk device have been developed. In such an image filing system, as shown in FIG. 11, after multi-gradation image data input from the image input device 1 is transferred to the memory 3 by the control CPU 2 and subjected to predetermined image processing, , Are registered in the filing device 4. On the other hand, the image registered in the filing device 4 can be displayed on the display device 6 as appropriate after searching for a predetermined image from the image based on a command from the console 5.

However, when searching for an image in a general image filing system, it is difficult to narrow down and display one image only from the description of the image file name and the content. It is necessary to display each image and select each image while checking it visually. In this case, especially in a case where a large volume of multi-tone image data is filed, a high-speed D / A converter or the like is required to read out each image data one by one from the filing device 4 and display them on the display device 6. In addition to the above, there is a problem that the interface circuit must be provided, and it takes time to transfer the image data, and the search is troublesome.

A method of compressing and filing the image data based on various methods to shorten the transfer time is also conceivable, but in this case, complicated hardware for compressing and expanding the image data must be installed. There is a problem that it does not.

(Purpose) Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image registration and retrieval method of an image filing system capable of performing a high-speed retrieval by a simple procedure.

(Structure) In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, when registering multi-tone image data, search image data obtained by binarizing the multi-tone image data by a pseudo halftone expression method is formed. When the multi-gradation image data to be registered is a color image, the multi-gradation image data of each color separated into three colors is simulated. The search image data is separately formed and registered for each color image by binarization using the halftone expression method, and at least one of the three search image data is referred to at the time of search. In the case where the multi-tone image data to be registered is a color image, black-and-white image data is first created from the multi-tone image data of each color separated into three colors. This white Black image data is expressed by pseudo-halftone expression method.
Characteristically, black and white search image data is separately formed and registered, and the black and white search image data is referred to at the time of search (claim 2). .

In the image registration and retrieval method of the image filing system having such a configuration, when the multi-tone image data to be registered is a color image, the retrieval image data having a small data amount is transmitted from the filing device at the time of the image retrieval. It is transferred quickly. Since this search image has a predetermined pseudo-gradation characteristic corresponding to the original image, it is accurately visually observed and selected.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, as shown in FIG. 2, image registration is performed while the CPU 15 controls the image reading device 11, the binarizing circuit 12, the memory 13, and the filing device 14, respectively.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1, when multi-gradation image data to be registered is input by the image reading device 11, the binarization circuit 12 applies, for example, dithering to the multi-gradation input image data. Pseudo halftone processing such as a method is performed and binarized to create search image data.

In the dither method, as shown in FIG. 3, a dither matrix 17 corresponding to each pixel of the multi-tone input image data 16 is set as a threshold, and each pixel level of the multi-tone input image data 16 is set to a threshold. 1 (white) when exceeding, and 0 (black) when each pixel level of the multi-gradation input image data 16 is below the threshold.
The output of the single-tone output image data 18
Is formed. Although halftones are not expressed in units of one pixel, approximate halftones can be expressed as a whole.

Returning to FIG. 1, when the above-described search image data is created, a search directory is created correspondingly, and a physical address, a search keyword, or a target image file is added to each search image data. Names are given.
Then, each of the search image data and the search directory is registered in the filing device 14. Then, a target image directory for defining the physical address of the target multi-tone image data is created, the target multi-tone image data and the target image directory are registered, and the process ends.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the filing device 14 includes a search directory 14a, search image data 14b, a target image directory 14c, and target image data 14d.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
The filing is performed while the filing device 14, the memory 13, the display device (CRT) 20 and the image processing device 21 are controlled by U15.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5, when search information such as a search keyword is input from the console keyboard,
A search directory is searched based on the search information, and a candidate image is selected. Usually, a plurality of candidate images exist, and the retrieval image data corresponding to each candidate image is read. Then, the read search image data is displayed on the display device 20 one after another. in this case,
Each search image data is obtained by performing a binarization process based on the pseudo halftone representation method, so that the image data amount is small, the transfer time is shortened, and quick display is performed. Moreover, since the search image data is given a certain level of gradation by the pseudo halftone expression method,
Image confirmation is performed reliably. The display of the search image data can be sufficiently displayed on a character display or the like because the data amount is small.

When a predetermined image is searched and confirmed, target image data is read based on the predetermined image. Further, various processes such as printout and editing are performed on the image data, and the process ends.

FIG. 8 is an example of a system configuration when the registered image data is a color image. A binarizing circuit 32a, 32b, 32c for each color image is provided for the image reading device 31, and a memory 33 and a filing device 34 for storing and filing each color search image data and each color multi-tone image data are provided. is set up.

As shown in FIG. 7, the procedure of image registration in this system is as follows. When target image data consisting of a three-color separation multi-tone image of red, green, and blue is input, Based on the expression method, each of the search pseudo-halftone image for a red image, the pseudo-halftone image for a green image, and the search pseudo-halftone image data for a blue image is created under the control of the CPU. Then
For these, a search directory, that is, a physical address of the search image, a search keyword, a target image file name, and the like are created, and each search image data is registered. Further, a directory for the target image is created, the target image data is registered, and the process ends. Therefore, the single-tone red image data, green image data, blue image data, and multi-tone red image data, green image data, and blue image data for search are registered in the filing device 34.

At the time of searching, the image data for searching for each color may be displayed sequentially, or three-color images may be output simultaneously by parallel processing. It is also possible to display only one of them or to display a two-color image.

FIG. 10 is another system configuration example when the registered image is a color image. For the image reading device 41, for example, a black-and-white image processing circuit 40 for obtaining a black-and-white image by synthesizing image data for each color is provided, and a binarizing circuit 42 for performing pseudo-halftone processing on the black-and-white image is provided. .
The memory 43 and the filing device 44 are provided with an area for storing multi-tone image data for each color and an area for storing a search monochrome image obtained by binarization.

The procedure of image registration in such a system is described in ninth.
As shown in the figure, when target image data composed of a three-color separation multi-tone image of red, green, and blue is input, each color image data is combined to create monochrome image data. Next, pseudo-halftone processing such as the dither method described above is performed on the monochrome image data under the control of the CPU, thereby forming pseudo-halftone image data for search. For this search image data, a search directory, that is, a physical address of the search image data, a search keyword, a target image file name, and the like are created, and then the search image data is registered. Further, a directory for the target image is created, the target image data is registered, and the process ends. Therefore, the single-tone black-and-white image data for search and the multi-tone blue image data, green image data, and red image data are registered in the filing device 44. At the time of the search, the monochrome image data for search is sequentially displayed, and a predetermined image is selected after being visually checked.

(Effects) As described above, in the present invention, a color image is registered / registered.
In the search method, after three-color separation, binarized image data of each color is created, and at least one of them is used as search image data (the invention according to claim 1). In the method of registering and retrieving a color image, multi-tone black-and-white image data is created from multi-tone data of each color obtained by separating three colors from a color image, and the multi-tone black-and-white image data is binarized for search. Since it is used for image data (the invention described in claim 2), when searching for a color image, the transfer amount of image data can be greatly reduced, so that the transfer time is shortened and the display speed at the time of search is reduced. Can be greatly increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 and 2 are a flowchart and a block diagram showing an image registration procedure in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a principle explanatory diagram showing an example of a binarization process as a pseudo halftone process. 4, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a file structure, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are flowcharts and block diagrams showing an image search procedure in one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 and FIG. 9 and 10 are flowcharts and block diagrams showing an image registration procedure according to still another embodiment of the present invention. , Eleventh
FIG. 1 is a configuration explanatory view showing a general image filing system. 11,31,41 …… Image reading device, 12,32a, 32b, 32c, 42 ……
Binarization circuit, 13,33,43 ... Memory, 14,34,44 ... Filing device.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] In order to search for multi-tone image data registered in a file device based on a command from a console and to display a predetermined image on a display device, in registering the multi-tone image data, An image filing system that binarizes the multi-tone image data by a pseudo-halftone expression method to form search image data and registers it separately, and refers to the search image data at the time of search. In the image registration search method, when the multi-tone image data to be registered is a color image,
The multi-gradation image data of each color separated into three colors is binarized by a pseudo halftone expression method, and search image data is separately formed and registered for each color image. An image registration method for an image filing system, wherein at least one of image data for use is referred to. 2. A method for retrieving multi-tone image data registered in a file device on the basis of a command from a console and displaying a predetermined image on a display device. An image filing system in which a search image data is formed by binarizing the multi-tone image data by a pseudo halftone expression method and registered separately, and the search image data is referred to at the time of search. If the multi-tone image data to be registered is a color image,
Black-and-white image data is once created from multi-tone image data of each color that has been separated into three colors, and then the black-and-white image data is binarized by a pseudo-halftone expression method, and black-and-white search image data is separately formed and registered. An image registration method for an image filing system, characterized in that the above-mentioned black and white search image data is referred to at the time of search.