JPH0210471B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an image data output method that can be applied, for example, when image data read by a facsimile device is output to a COR device.

[Technical background of the invention]

For example, in an OCR facsimile device that is a combination of a facsimile device and an OCR device,
A form 400 as shown in FIG. 1 is input. A start mark 401 is printed from the upper edge of the form 400 at two consecutive locations in the main scanning direction for a predetermined number of lines from the predetermined line so that a predetermined number of black bits are continuous. This start mark 4
01 is used to notify the facsimile unit of the OCR facsimile device that it is a form. Furthermore, a line mark 402 consisting of black bits having a predetermined bit length in the main scanning direction is printed corresponding to one line of the recognition area 403 in the form 400. This line mark 402 is printed to determine the line direction of the recognition area 403 to be recognized by the OCR unit, and the image data output from the facsimile unit to the OCR unit is This is a horizontally long area created when a vertical line created with ample margin is moved in the main scanning direction.

By the way, this image data has a line mark 402.
is also sent, but this line mark 4
02 is processed as shown in FIG. 2 to perform line mark detection. The image of the line mark 402 as shown in FIG. 2 is converted into an electric signal as shown in FIG. 2 by a reading section (photoelectric conversion system). An electrical signal such as is input to a noise removal circuit and the rising noise is removed, resulting in a signal such as . Since the signal processed in this way is transmitted as a facsimile signal, the noise N ₁ , N ₂ , N ₃ etc. that could not be removed by the noise removal circuit is affected by the transmission path etc. When processed by a local OCR facsimile machine, the resulting image may be completely different from the original image.

[Problems with background technology]

For this reason, even if the OCR unit attempts to cut out lines of image data based on the line marks 402 in order to correct reading errors in the facsimile part, it may not be possible or the line may be cut out incorrectly. For this reason, the probability of reject and the probability of misrecognition become high.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the drawbacks of the conventional image data output method as described above, and its purpose is to enable the side that receives and processes the sent image data to detect specific marks contained in the image data. An object of the present invention is to provide an image data output method that allows data to be obtained in a form as close to a regular pattern as possible.

[Summary of the invention]

Therefore, in the present invention, a memory for storing input image data, a black bit counter for counting black bits in a predetermined area in this memory,
It is equipped with a determination circuit that determines whether or not the above black bit part is a specific mark based on the count value obtained by the black bit counter, and a pattern generation circuit that can generate at least a pattern of the above specific mark. Then, when reading and detecting the above specific mark from the above memory and outputting image data including this specific mark, the part corresponding to this specific mark is replaced with the data generated by the above pattern generation circuit. This is how it is output.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows an image data output device employing the method of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 101 indicates a reading unit, which is a part that photoelectrically converts a form image as shown in FIG. 1, for example. Specifically, it also includes a noise removal circuit and processes image data up to the state shown in FIG. This noise removal circuit is composed of, for example, a ROM, and outputs a predetermined address using image data. For example, only the case of mark 402 will be described below. Assuming that the horizontal width of the line mark 402 is 1 mm and it is photoelectrically converted to 8 bits, the 8-bit pattern ideally changes from an 8-bit all black pattern as shown in Fig. 4.
The left side of the 8 bits becomes white with 1 bit sequentially, forming an all white pattern, and the left side of the 8 bits becomes 1 bit sequentially.
There are 16 possible bit patterns in which each bit is black. Here, consider the case where the mark signal is converted into a bit pattern (11000000 ₂ ) with data corresponding to white being "1" and data corresponding to black being "0". For example, as shown in Figure 5A,
The 2 bits from the left are ``1'', and the remaining 6 bits contain at most 1 bit of ``1''.
and a mark signal in which the rightmost bit and the third bit from the left are "0" - (11010000 ₂ ),
(11001000 ₂ ), (11000000 ₂ ), (11000100 ₂ ),
The data in the ROM is stored so that whenever (11000010 ₂ )-- becomes an address, the data (11000000 ₂ ) shown in FIG. 5B is output. Similarly, for other mark signals, the mark signals serve as addresses and output data. Since the mark signal is 8 bits, there are 256 types of address patterns, most of which are used to output data containing "0" as shown in FIG. However, mark signals that are clearly considered to be noise - e.g.
(11101111 ₂ ), (11011011 ₂ ) etc. - (11111111 ₂ )
is converted to In addition, the bit patterns (1111111O ₂ ), (01111111 ₂ ), etc. shown in FIG.
This assumes that an 8-bit mark signal is sent across 2 bytes; for example, the former is combined with (00000001 ₂ ) and the latter with (10000000 ₂ ) to indicate a mark.

In this way, the image signal 2 resulting from noise removal
01, the memory writing image is selected via the selection circuit 103 because the reading section 101 is selected by the selection signal 202 outputted by the control section 102 in the image data control section 100 at step 501 in FIG. It is written to memory 104 as signal 203. At this time, the control unit 102 outputs a memory control signal 204 corresponding to a write-related address and a write pulse to perform write control.

When the reading of one page of the form is completed and the completion of writing of the corresponding image data into the memory 104 is confirmed in step 502, the control section 102 enters a specific mark detection routine shown by the broken line in FIG. That is, in step 503, preparations are made for reading image data based on the detection range of the given specific mark. Now, a part of the memory 104 is as shown in FIG. 7, and the mark detection range is (x ₁ , y ₁ ), (x ₂ , y ₁ ), (x ₂ , y ₂ ), (x ₁ , y ₂ ), the control unit 102
At step 504, it outputs the read address corresponding to _y1 and the memory control signal 204 corresponding to the read pulse, and reads out, for example, one line of data 205 one byte at a time.

The data 205 is sent to the mark detection unit 106 because the control unit 102 controls the distribution circuit 105 using the distribution signal 206. A black bit counter 107 is provided in the mark detection section 106 and counts consecutive black bits in the read image signal 207. At this time, as can be seen from FIG. 7, the readout image signal includes edge noise, and the black bit counter 107 is cleared when the signal moves from the black bit to the white bit and then to the black bit. , when the black bit counter 107 reaches a predetermined value (a range of values considered to be the row mark 402), the mark detection unit 106 outputs a mark detection signal 208. This operation corresponds to steps 505 and 506 in FIG.

Next, the control unit 102 performs steps 507 and 50.
8, increments its own detection line counter,
Step the line to address y ₁ +1. Next, the control unit 102 checks whether the address of the stepped line is within the mark detection range. If the answer is YES, steps 504 to 508 are repeated. In this way, when the line address becomes y ₂ +1, the process branches to NO in step 509.
A determination is made in step 510 whether it is a mark or not. That is, at this stage, the control unit 102
It is checked how many times the mark detection signal 208 outputted from the mark detection unit 106 has been received so far, and if the number of times is within a predetermined range, the answer is YES. Otherwise, the process returns to step 503 and, for example, the next Prepares mark detection for rows.

If YES in step 510, the control section 102 moves to step 511, outputs the pattern output request signal 210, and outputs the pattern output request signal 210 to the pattern generation circuit 108.
From this, a pattern including the row mark 402 and its surroundings is output as shown in FIG. Next, selection signal 2
02 so that the image signal 209 output from the pattern generation circuit 108 is sent to the memory 104. Furthermore, in step 512,
The control unit 102 outputs a memory control signal 204 corresponding to the address of the detected row mark 402 in the memory 104 and a write pulse, and
The pattern shown in Figure 7 is (x ₁ , y ₁ ), (x ₂ , y ₁ ),
Overwrite the area surrounded by (x ₂ , y ₂ ) and (x ₁ , y ₂ ).

Next, in step 513, the control unit 102
determines whether the output request signal 211 has been output from the output interface 109 or not. When the output is output, the control unit 102 accepts this and switches the distribution signal 206 so that the output of the memory 104 is routed to the output interface 10 via the distribution circuit 105.
9, and outputs an address corresponding to one row to be transferred and a memory control signal 204 corresponding to a read pulse to the memory 104, and outputs image data 212 for one row at a time. The output image data 212 is output to, for example, an OCR unit via the output interface 109.

In addition, in the above explanation, OCR is
Although we have explained the case where image data is sent to a processing unit such as a computer, it is also applicable when it is sent from a reading unit to a facsimile unit for facsimile transmission, or when image data is received on the receiving side and processed as described above. It is possible.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the image data 301 output from the reading unit 101 is transmitted to i devices M ₁ ,
When transmitted between M ₂ , ..., M _i-1 , M _i , a specific mark of the image data to be transmitted P ₁ , P ₂ , ..., P _i-2 , P _i-1 is attached to each device. By converting to a regular specific mark, the influence of the transmission path on the specific mark can be reduced.

In addition, in the embodiment, the description has been made assuming that the control section 102 performs most of the mark detection routine within the broken line in FIG. At this time, the mark detection signal 208 may be output.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, for a mark whose ideal pattern has been determined in advance, the original (regular)
Since it is replaced with a pattern, even if the image data at the time of input is disordered, it will not adversely affect subsequent processing. Therefore, if this method is used in an OCR device (or OMR device) etc. combined with a facsimile device, the rate of recognition errors can be reduced, and rejects due to errors in line extraction can also be reduced.

Furthermore, if each of the multi-stage transmission devices adopts this method, the mark image mark can be sent out almost cleanly until the final stage.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a partially omitted plan view of a form, Figure 2 is a diagram for explaining the conventional image data output method, and Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining the conventional image data output method.
The figure is a block diagram of an image data output device to which the present invention is applied, Figures 4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining noise removal, Figure 6 is a flowchart for explaining the present invention, and Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining noise removal. Diagram showing part of memory,
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a pattern generated by the pattern generation circuit, and FIG. 9 is a block diagram when the present invention is used in a multi-stage transmission system. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101...Reading part, 102...Control part, 104...Memory, 106...Mark detection part, 107...Black bit counter, 108...Pattern generation circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A memory that stores input image data, a black bit counter that counts black bits in a predetermined area in the memory, and a black bit counter that counts the black bits based on the count value obtained by the black bit counter. comprising a determination circuit that determines whether a portion is a specific mark, and a pattern generation circuit capable of generating at least a pattern of the specific mark, and reads and detects the specific mark from the memory;
An image data output method characterized in that, when outputting image data including this specific mark, a portion corresponding to this specific mark is replaced with data generated by the pattern generation circuit. 2. The image data output method according to claim 1, wherein the pattern generation circuit also generates a pattern around a predetermined range of a specific mark together with a pattern of the specific mark.