JP2728904B2 - Image processing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that modulates the density of an image in a fixed pattern. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, image processing for density-modulating an image according to a certain pattern, for example, texture processing for synthesizing a cloth pattern has been performed. Specifically, when the image of FIG. 3A is density-modulated according to the pattern of FIG. 3B, an image as shown in FIG. 3C is obtained. There is no device that realizes such density modulation image processing on a read image in real time. [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] As a method for realizing the texture processing to be performed on an image to be read in real time, an apparatus having a configuration shown in FIG. 1 can be considered. In this method, a pattern image for texture processing is read and stored, and when reading a document image, the stored pattern image is read, processed by an image modulator, and modulated in density. However, in the above-described apparatus, the capacity of a storage unit for storing a pattern image for texture processing is limited, and if the storage unit is smaller than data of a document image to be processed, the pattern image for processing is repeated. Must be used. In this way, the image may be an image in which the pattern is relatively continuous on the left and right and upper and lower connecting surfaces of the pattern image. In many cases, however, since the pattern on the connecting surface is discontinuous, However, there is a drawback in that the image changes abruptly and appears as an unnatural streak in the image. Such a defect can occur not only in texture processing but also in image processing for density-modulating an image according to a certain pattern. [Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, a color image processing apparatus of the present invention includes an input unit for inputting first image data, a storage unit for storing the first image data, Means for performing a filtering process on the first image data, input means for inputting the second image data, and means for modulating the density of the second image data by an output from the means for performing the filtering process And [Operation] In the above configuration, the means for modulating the density of the second image data performs density modulation based on an output from the means for performing a filtering process on the first image data. [Embodiment] According to an embodiment of the present invention described below, by performing filter processing near the outer frame portion of the pattern image for texture processing, the storage unit for storing the pattern image in particular has a finite size. In the case of continuous use, for example, discontinuity at the image connecting plane in the left and right and up and down directions can be reduced, and image processing can be performed more continuously. However, the present invention is not limited to the texture processing of the present embodiment, and is not necessarily limited to the density modulation of the repetitive pattern. Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram including texture processing of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a process connected to the CPU bus 17, a CPU 108 for calculation,
ROM 109 for storing programs and the like, RAM 110 for auxiliary storage,
CCD 100, A / D conversion unit 101, color masking unit 102, under color removal unit 103, gradation correction unit 104 for performing γ conversion, image data 120 and RA
An image modulator 114 that performs texture processing based on M113 data, an area generation circuit 111 that generates an area signal (in particular, used as an enable signal of the counter 112 and an enable signal of texture processing here), and an image data 126 are horizontal. The image processing apparatus includes an enlargement / reduction unit 115 for performing enlargement / reduction processing in a direction, and is connected to a digitizer 106 via a serial I / F 107. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a texture processing circuit.
Hereinafter, a portion for writing the modulation data 218 to the RAM 209 and the RAM 113
The operation of the data 216 and the image data 215 (dexture processing) will be described separately.

[Data Writing Unit to RAM 113] 1. Writing of Image (Pattern) Data The arithmetic unit (1) 201 includes an RGB → YMC converter and a YMC averaging circuit. here, That is, the density data 219 is obtained. On the other hand, the data 220 is selected by the selector 208,
Input as an enable signal to the ▲ ▼ of 113 and the driver 203. The memory address is generated by a vertical counter 212 that counts up in synchronization with a horizontal synchronization signal HSYNC and a horizontal counter that counts up in synchronization with an image clock VCK.
Enter in the address of 13. As a result, the density pattern of the input image is written to the memory 113. 2. Data write by CPU Selector 202 selects CPU data. On the other hand, A is selected by the selector 208, and is input as ▲ in the memory 113 and the driver 203 enable signal. A is selected as the memory address by the selector 210 and is input to the address of the memory 113. As a result, an arbitrary density pattern is written to the memory.

[Operation part of RAM 113 data 216 and image data 215] This operation is realized by the operation unit (2) 215. This operation unit (2) is here constituted by a multiplier. The calculation of the data 216 and 215 is performed only when the enable signal 111 is active, and when the enable signal 111 is disabled, the data 215 is in a through state. Input data 215 is data 12 selected by selector 200
0, that is, the other input data 216 that is video data
Is output from the memory 113. Next, a method of scaling the modulation data independently of the image data will be described.

[Reduced]

The reduction is performed when writing image data to the memory 113. The image clock VCK is thinned out by an rmp (rate multiplier) 213, and the data is written to two rmps so that the horizontal synchronizing signal HSYNC is thinned out by an rmp214.
Set from CPU. As a result, the count-up of the horizontal counter 211 and the vertical counter 212 is delayed, and as a result, reduced data is written to the memory 113. RAM11
3When calculating (texture processing) data 216 and image data 215, VCK, HSYN or rm
Data is set in the CPU at p213 and 214, respectively.

[Enlarge]

Conversely to the reduction, when writing an image to the memory 113, data is set from the CPU to the rmps 213 and 214 such that clocks that are not thinned out are set in the two counters. When calculating (texture processing) the RAM 113 data 216 and the image data 215, data is set in two rmps so that VCK and HSYNC are thinned out. As a result, the count-up of the two address counters is delayed, and as a result, the texture pattern is modulated in an enlarged form. In the above description, for simplicity, the same processing was used for both enlargement and reduction in the horizontal and vertical directions. Horizontal only, such as expansion,
It is possible to apply zooming independent of the vertical direction. An image processing apparatus using the present invention has an operation unit (not shown) having means (not shown) for selecting a texture mode and means (not shown) for turning on / off the effect of the present invention in texture processing. ), Each of which can be set, confirmed, and changed. Hereinafter, the operation of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the outline of the operation of the apparatus. An operation command is input (S'-400). If it is a texture pattern reading instruction (S'-40).
3) The original is scanned, and the obtained image data is recorded in the texture pattern RAM 113 (S-408). If the setting of turning on the effect of the "means for solving the problem" (hereinafter referred to as a filter effect) is not made (S-410) when the reading is completed, the operation command input waiting is waited again. State. If the effect is set to ON (S'-409), filter processing is performed. As the smoothing filter, a general filter as shown in FIG. 6-2 is used. Assume that the size of the texture pattern RAM 113 is 512 dots × 512 dots as shown in FIG. 5-1. When filtering the texture pattern RAM 113 with a 3 × 3 matrix, the address calculation of the memory follows FIG. 5-2. FIG. 5-2 is a 3.times.3 matrix showing addresses of the memory. All 3 × 3 9 pixels used for filter processing,
If it is within the area of 512 dots × 512 dots, the above filtering process can be performed as it is, but if the outer periphery of the texture pattern is filtered, some of the 9 pixels will be out of the area of 512 dots × 512 dots Will be. Therefore, in such a case, in the x direction and the y direction, By calculating the address as follows, it is possible to prevent an unnatural stripe of the pattern in the repetition of the texture pattern as shown in FIG. 7-1 (FIG. 7-2). A specific example is shown in FIG. 5-3. As shown in this figure, (1,
To filter 1), x = 512 or y
= 512 texture data is required. Therefore, all of the texture data is first stored in the RAM 113, and then the texture data necessary for the filter processing is input to the CPU 117 based on the above-described address calculation to perform an operation. In other words, when an image of 512 dots × 512 dots is arranged, the calculation is performed on pixels that also become the edges of the image pattern. As shown in FIG. 6A, the filter processing is performed in the vicinity of the outer frame of the texture pattern, and the processing is performed only on a portion from the outermost pixel to a suitable number of pixels inside. If the width is reduced, the effect is reduced, but if the width is increased too much, the effect of the texture processing is reduced. FIG. 6-4 shows the pattern shown in FIG. 6-3 which has been subjected to a filtering process near the outer frame. FIG. 7-1 and FIG. 7-2 show these in repetition.
Although the figure shows only the repetition in the horizontal direction, the same effect is obtained in the vertical direction. If the operation command is copy start (S-40)
1) It is checked whether the texture processing is selected. If it is selected (S-412), the image modulator 114 is turned on. If it is not selected (S-41).
3), make the operation of the image modulator 114 an image through,
The original is read (S-416). In the present embodiment, a 3 × 3 matrix is used for performing the filtering process, but a 5 × 5 or 7 × 7 matrix may be used. Further, the area for performing the filter processing can be appropriately determined according to each case. Further, the type of the filter is not limited to the average in the matrix, but may be a maximum value (FIG. 8) or a minimum value in the matrix. As described above, according to the present embodiment, if the connecting surface becomes unnatural when the sample image for texture processing is repeated while being repeated, filter processing is performed on the outer frame portion of the sample image. As a result, it is possible to prevent the processing from changing unnaturally at the joint surface, and to obtain a natural texture effect even when the memory size of the sample image is relatively small. [Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, input means (such as CCD100) for inputting first image data
Storage means (RAM113) for storing the first image data
Means for performing a filtering process on the first image data (image modulator 114); means for modulating the density of the second image data based on an output from the means for performing the filtering process (image modulator 114). With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent a sharp change in density when performing density modulation on image data.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram of an image processing device using the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an image modulator, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an effect of texture processing, FIG. FIG. 5-1 is a configuration diagram of a texture pattern RAM, FIG. 5-2 is a diagram showing a method of calculating coordinates for filtering, FIG. 5-3 is a specific example of calculating coordinates of filtering, FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a range to be subjected to a filtering process, FIG. 6-2 is a diagram showing an example of a smoothing filter used for the filtering process, FIG. 6-3 is a diagram showing a texture pattern before filtering, FIG. -4 is a diagram showing the texture pattern after filtering, FIG. 7-1 is a diagram showing the case where the texture pattern before filtering is repeated, and FIG. 7-2 is a diagram showing the texture pattern after filtering. Shows a case was repeated after Iruta process, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a filter matrix. 100 CCD 101 A / D conversion unit 102 Color masking unit 103 Under color removal unit 104 Tone correction unit 106 Digitizer 107 Serial I / F 108 CPU 109 ROM 110 RAM 111 Area generating circuit 112 Counter 113 RAM 114 Image modulator 115 Scaling unit 116 Printer unit

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yasumichi Suzuki 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Koichi Kato 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Ichikawa 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An input unit for inputting first image data; a storage unit for storing the first image data; a unit for performing a filtering process on the first image data; An image processing apparatus comprising: input means for inputting; and means for modulating the density of the second image data based on an output from the means for performing the filter processing.