JP2984607B2 - Copying apparatus and data management method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a copying apparatus and an image processing method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, image processing such as R, G, B, Y,
In general, a user instructs adjustment of parameters such as M, C, and K.

[0003]

However, as described above, a method of adjusting parameters such as R, G, B, C, M, Y, and K each time an instruction to process an image is made, for example, by a user Even if it is desired to perform the same image processing as the processed image, it has been difficult to instruct the same image processing. In addition, it was difficult for an unskilled user to register desired image processing.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a copying apparatus and an image processing method in which image processing can be easily set even for an unskilled user. It is another object of the present invention to provide a copying apparatus and an image processing method in which an image processing data and an identifier are registered in accordance with displayed guidance so that even an unskilled user can easily register the image processing data and the identifier in association with each other. And

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus for registering image processing data used for processing applied to an input image and an identifier constituted by inputting a plurality of characters. Display means for displaying guidance for the user, registration means for registering the image processing data and the identifier in association with each other in accordance with the displayed guidance, and selecting the registered identifier by instructing the user. Processing means for processing the input image in accordance with the image processing data.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of claim 2 displays image processing data used for processing applied to an input image and guidance for registering an identifier constituted by inputting a plurality of characters. A display step, a registration step of registering the image processing data and the identifier in association with each other in accordance with the displayed guidance, and the image processing data selected by the registered identifier being instructed by a user. And a processing step of performing processing on the input image.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment A color image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment can adjust a color image based on a user's sense by providing a means for registering a color image adjustment parameter having a user's sense. It is like that.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an image reading unit;
The original image is converted into R, G, B image signals by a CD line sensor and then converted into R, G, B digital signals by an A / D converter and output. Reference numeral 2 denotes a shading correction unit that corrects variations in sensitivity of the illumination system, the optical system, and the sensor based on white data when uniform white is read. Reference numeral 3 denotes a logarithmic conversion unit that performs conversion so that white becomes 00H and black becomes FFH in accordance with the relative luminous efficiency characteristics of the human eye, and the density signals Y, M, and C corresponding to R, G, and B are converted. Output. Reference numeral 4 denotes a color modulation unit which can control the read / write of the memory by hardware, and can control the memory by the read / write of the CPU.
Modulation processing is performed on each of the M and C color component data as described later. Reference numeral 5 denotes a color correction unit that performs processes such as under color removal and smearing on each of the Y, M, and C color component image data, and outputs Y, M, C, and K. Reference numeral 6 denotes a density control unit which includes a gamma conversion circuit formed of an LUT (look-up table) for controlling the color balance and color density of an output image. Reference numeral 7 denotes an image output unit. For example, an image forming apparatus for performing hard copy such as a color laser beam printer, a color thermal transfer printer, a color dot printer, and a color ink jet printer, and a display such as a CRT can be used. 8 is CP
A CPU for controlling each unit via the U bus 13; a RAM 9 for storing modulation data and the like; a ROM 10 for storing operation procedures and the like of the CPU in advance; 11 an operation unit for performing operations such as key input; It is a digitizer that performs area designation and character input.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the color modulation section 4. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 50 denotes a memory for holding parameters for color modulation; 51, a data control unit for controlling data of the memory 50; 52, an address control unit for controlling addresses of the memory 50; Arithmetic units for modulating the color component signals Y, M and C based on the data and outputting Y ', M' and C 'are gate circuits 54 to 57.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the data control unit 51. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, 511, 512,
513 and 514 are selectors, and 515 is a gate for controlling data transmission according to the MRD signal. Selector 51
1, 512, and 513 select one of the Y, M, and C data from the logarithmic converter 3 and the data from the data bus 13 stored in the RAM 9 in accordance with the CPU MODE signal CM from the CPU 8. Also, the selector 514 is a CPU 8
Select one of the data Y _R , M _R , and C _R read from the memory 50 in response to a select signal from
15

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the address control unit 52. In FIG. 4, 520 is a selector, 52
1 is a vertical counter, 522 is a horizontal counter, and 523 is a flip-flop for timing adjustment.

The selector 520 is a CPU MO of the CPU 8.
One of a read address signal from the address bus of the CPU bus 13 on the 0 side and a write address signal from the vertical counter 521 and the horizontal counter 522 on the 1 side is selected in accordance with the DE signal CM, and the address terminal of the memory 50 is selected. input. The horizontal counter 522 controls the horizontal address according to CLK, and is reset by the HSYNC signal. Also, the vertical counter 521 is set to H
This counter controls the vertical address according to the SYNC signal, and is reset at the timing of the HSYNC signal when the SE signal is input.

Next, the operation of the color modulation section shown in FIG. 2 will be described. First, when reading a document image in order to register the user's feeling, the data control unit 51 selects the data to be written to the memory 50 to the Y, M, and C data sides. At this time, both the CPU MODE signal CM and the HW signal are H
MW from gates 54 and 57
The R signal is input to the WR terminal of the memory, and controls the write timing of the memory 50. At this time, the address control unit 52 outputs a vertical counter 521, a horizontal counter 522
Is input to the memory 50.

When the writing of the image data is completed, the CP
U8 sets both the CM signal and the HW signal to Low, and loads the contents of the memory 50 into the RAM 9.

On the other hand, when writing the data updated in the RAM to the memory 50 through the data bus, the CM is set to Low, the HW is set to Low, and the select signals are set to Y, M, C.
Is set, and the CPU 8 writes the desired data.

Next, registration of a user's sensory element (in this embodiment, a sense of color) will be described.

FIG. 5 is a drawing showing the appearance of the operation unit 11 and the digitizer 12. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 81 denotes a color adjustment key which is depressed when entering the color adjustment mode. 8
Reference numeral 2 denotes a liquid crystal touch panel display having both display and input functions. Reference numeral 83 denotes a COPY key which is depressed when starting a copy operation.

The procedure of the "registration" of the color adjustment mode will be described below with reference to the display on the display screen of FIG. 6 and the flowchart of FIG.

The color adjustment key 81 on the operation unit 11 shown in FIG.
When is pressed, the screen of the liquid crystal touch panel display 82 is displayed by the CPU 8 as shown in FIG.
When a registration mode is selected with the registration key 611 (FIG. 9)
S1), the liquid crystal screen is changed to a display for selecting a registration number as shown in FIG. 6B (S2). In FIG. 6B, if the number to be registered is 1, for example, the user presses the first touch key 621 (S3). In the case of the present embodiment, a plurality of color tones from 1 to 4 can be registered.

When the OK touch key 622 is pressed in FIG. 6B, the display is changed to the display of the start key 631 as shown in FIG. 6C (S4). In FIG. 6 (c), if the user feels "warm" when seeing a red-colored document, the user places the document on the document table and presses the start key 631 (S5). In response, the image reading unit 1 starts the reading operation (S
6). The read image data undergoes shading correction and logarithmic conversion as described above, and reaches the color modulation unit 4.

Each of the Y, M, and C color component signals sent from the logarithmic converter 3 is input to the calculator 53 and to the data controller 51.

When registering image data, the following operation is performed. In FIG. 2, the CPUMODE signal CM is "H", and similarly, the Hardware Write signal H
As for W, "H" is output from the I / O port of the CPU 8.
At this time, an inverted signal of CLK is output from the NAND gate 54, and the timing of writing image data to the memory 50 is controlled by the MWR signal from the gate 57. After the writing operation of the image data to the memory 50 is completed, the CPU 8 sets the CPU MODE signal CM to “L”, H
W is controlled to be “L”, and the content of the memory 50 is changed to R.
Load to AM9.

Next, the CPU 8 changes the liquid crystal touch panel 82 to a screen as shown in FIG. 6D (S7). Here, the user uses the digitizer 12 to input words expressing his or her sense received from the original. For example, this word is used when the user feels "warm" from the color tone of the document. At this time, the CPU 8 converts the coordinate information input from the digitizer 12 into a corresponding font code, displays the font on the cursor 641 of the liquid crystal touch panel 82, and shifts the cursor 641 rightward by one character.

FIG. 6 shows an example of registering the sense of color tone "warm". When the word "warm" is displayed on the liquid crystal panel 82, the setting is completed.
The user presses the OK key 642 in FIG.

Now, consider a case where the maximum value of each color component data in the "warm" color tone image data loaded into the RAM 9 is as shown in FIG. 8A and the minimum value is as shown in FIG. 8B.

In the present embodiment, the CPU 8 calculates the center value (average value) from E0H of the maximum value M and 50H of the minimum value C.

[0028]

[Outside 1] Is calculated. The correction is made so that the intermediate value between the maximum value and the minimum value is almost the entire intermediate value from the density 00H to the FFH.
In other words, when the arithmetic unit 53 in FIG. 2 is a multiplier that increases by a factor of 80 at 80H, the correction is performed so that the center value 98H of the image data stored in the RAM 8 becomes 80H. To be more specific, to each image data of "warm" color tone

[0029]

[Outside 2] Is stored again in the RAM 9, and the image information and the word "warm" corresponding to the image information are registered as a sense of color adjustment (FIG. 6B). ~
Each sense is registered in the same manner.

Next, a method of performing color adjustment on an image newly input from the image reading means 1 based on the sense of color tone registered in the above-described procedure will be described.

In FIG. 6A, when the adjustment key 612 is pressed (S8), the liquid crystal touch panel 82 is controlled by the CPU 8 so that the display shown in FIG.
9). Here, as shown in FIG. 7 (a), the color adjustment is "warm", "quick", "kinzoku", and "plastic" is a feeling of seeing and seeing an image of a certain color tone. It is registered.

For example, when performing a color adjustment to give a "warm" feeling to the input image, the "warm" key 711 is pressed (S10). Then, the liquid crystal touch panel 82 displays as shown in FIG. 7B (S1).
1). The user presses the strength keys 722 and 723 to move the cursor 721, selects the adjustment strength, and presses the end key 7
When 24 is pressed (S12), a copy including the following color adjustment is executed (S13).

The CPU 8 calculates a value X obtained by the following equation as data to be stored in the memory 50 according to the strengths of 0 to 4 in FIG. 7B.

[0034]

[Outside 3]

The method of storing data in the memory 50 is as follows.
In FIG. 2, CM is “L”, HW is “L”, select signal is Y,
A method of setting a desired select signal out of M and C and writing from the CPU unit 8 to store the value of X in the memory 50 is adopted.

When the start key in FIG. 583 is pressed, the CPU unit 8 sets “H” in FIG. 2CM and “L” in HW,
A mode for reading the memory 50 by hardware is set.
Therefore, in the arithmetic unit 53, for the data Y, M, and C obtained by reading the new original color image, the modulation data Y _R , stored in the memory 50 and read out in the order of Y _R , M _R , and C _R for each pixel. Multiplication with M _R and C _R (Y × Y _R , M × M _R ,
C × C _R ) is performed for each pixel. The calculation unit 53 can be configured using three multipliers. As a result, the modulation according to the image data registered as "warm" can be performed, and the arithmetic section 53 outputs the modulated image data Y ',
M ′ and C ′ are output to the color corrector 5.

In this embodiment, an example in which the color balance is changed for the sake of simplicity has been described. However, in the configuration of this embodiment, since the memory 50 is provided, the modulation is applied to the original image in a specific pattern. be able to. That is, not only can the color tone be changed with the sense of the registered user, but also so-called texture processing such as adding a ground pattern can be performed by performing modulation using a pattern. In the present embodiment,
Modulation was performed after logarithmic conversion to Y, M, C data.
Modulation may be performed on R, G, and B data. Also,
For example, after converting the read signal into a luminance signal Y and a chromaticity signal (I, Q), the modulation may be applied only to the (I, Q) signal, and the modulation target is the Y, M, C data of the present embodiment. Not limited to

In the present embodiment, the center value of the modulation data is set to one time of the multiplication key 53. However, the distribution of the image data becomes maximum instead of the average of the maximum value and the minimum value of the image data. The value of the image data may be set to be one time. Further, in this embodiment, the modulation data is created by controlling writing and reading of the memory by a hardware configuration, but the modulation data may be created by the procedure of the CPU in all cases. Further, the type of the modulation data for performing the color adjustment is not limited to the warm, quick, metallic, or plastic type, and other senses may be registered and selected.

As described above, by providing the image processing apparatus of the present embodiment with the color modulation means, it is possible to adjust the color image with the feeling felt by the user. , C, K, R, G, and B, a color image can be easily adjusted in the same manner as a color expert.

In this embodiment, the arithmetic unit is a multiplier. However, it is sufficient that the arithmetic unit modulates image data. It goes without saying that an adder and a divider are also within the scope of the present invention. .

Second Embodiment FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a second embodiment of the color modulation 5.

In the second embodiment, in order to register a user's intuitive function, image data to be registered by the user is present to the user by using coordinate input means on a document such as a digitizer 12. After obtaining the coordinate information, the shading correction operation is performed by pressing the start key 631 in FIG. 6C as in the first embodiment. The CPU 8 loads the shading correction data from the memory inside the shading correction unit 2 into the RAM 9. Next, the image reading unit 1 is moved to a position in the sub-scanning direction of the coordinate data,
The image data is fetched into the memory for one line in the shading correction 2, and the image data at the position in the main scanning direction of the coordinate data is corrected with the already loaded shading correction data, and the data R ', G', B 'is output. At this time, if data for several pixels in the vicinity is read and an average is calculated for each of the R, G, and B components, an image such as a halftone original can be read with high accuracy.

After obtaining the R, G, B data R ', G', B 'after shading correction, the CPU 8 performs an operation equivalent to the logarithmic conversion unit 3 on the R, G, B image data. Then, corresponding Y, M, and C image data are obtained.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the parameters of the arithmetic unit 53 are set in the Y, M, and C registers of FIGS. Using the maximum value and the minimum value of the image data of C, 91, 92, 93 by the method shown in the first embodiment.
By setting parameters set by the CPU 8 via the CPU bus 13, the color image can be adjusted with a user's intuitive function.

In the second embodiment, since the memory 50 is not provided, the shape of the image cannot be modulated, but there is an effect that the circuit can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By registering image processing data and an identifier composed of a plurality of characters in association with each other, it is possible to select a desired image processing from the characters, so that even an unskilled user can set image processing. easy. Further, by registering the image processing data and the identifier according to the displayed guidance, even an unskilled user can easily register the image processing data and the identifier in association with each other.

[0047]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a color modulation section 4.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a data control unit 51.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an address control unit 52;

FIG. 5 is an external view of a scanning unit 11 and a digitizer 12.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of image registration.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of color adjustment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating level adjustment of a registered image.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a color adjustment mode.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G06T 5/00 G06T 1/00 G06T 11/80 H04N 1/40 H04N 1/60

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A display unit for displaying image processing data used for a process to be performed on an input image; and guidance for registering an identifier formed by inputting a plurality of characters; and displaying the guidance in accordance with the displayed guidance. Registering means for registering the image processing data and the identifier in association with each other; generating an image processing data corresponding to the identifier by instructing the registered identifier by a user; and inputting the input image in accordance with the generated image data. And a processing means for performing processing on the copying machine. 2. A display step of displaying image processing data used for processing applied to an input image and guidance for registering an identifier formed by inputting a plurality of characters; and displaying the guidance according to the displayed guidance. A registration step of registering the image processing data and the identifier in association with each other, generating the image processing data corresponding to the identifier by instructing the registered identifier by a user, and generating the input image according to the generated image data. An image processing method comprising the steps of: