JPH0354674A - Data holding system for image processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve flexibility for utilizing stored data by automatically registering input data by preparing a registration/identification name from successive data and additional data, and making a subfile structure by an item name corresponding to the data contents. CONSTITUTION:An additional data extracting means 62 which extracts the data added to the image data in the input data, that is, the caption data, a successive data generating means 64 which generates data successively different in accordance with each inputted data, for example, time data, etc., and an identification name generating means 65 which generates a registration/ identification name (a) consisting of an invariable part and a variable part using the character data and successive data, are provided. And the inputted data is automatically held at a storing means 32 by the generated registration/ identification name. Then, within a file structure by the registration/ identification name, a file structure by an item name (b) is provided. Thus, the flexibility of the form for the input/output of the data is added.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for holding input data in an image processing system that can perform desired processing on data such as input image signals and output the resulting data. be. [Summary of the Invention] The data retention method of the image processing system of the present invention includes additional data such as characters added to an image signal in the input data, and additional data generated in response to the input data. A registered identification name for the input data is created using sequential data, and the input data is automatically held in a storage means using this registered identification name. Furthermore, within the file structure held by the registered identification name, there is a subfile structure divided by item names generated according to the type of disk, and the data in each subfile structure is It is structured so that it can be referenced all at once using an identifier. [Prior Art] One frame worth of video signal (still image) is input from a video source such as a television camera, video disc, still camera, etc. to an image processing unit, and the image processing unit performs various processing on the input image signal. A still image processing system for printing has been developed in which a desired image signal for printing is generated by processing the image signal, and the signal is supplied to a printing means such as a printer for printing. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of an image processing system, and l is a block diagram showing an example of an image processing system.
This is an image signal output unit that can output a screen worth of video signals (still images), text information explaining the image content, etc. For example, the still image signal output as a Y/C signal is sent to the image processing device unit 2. is entered. , image signal processing is performed based on operations from the processing control console 2A. Image processing includes noise reduction processing, brightness or saturation adjustment, and various image conversion processing (
(enlargement/reduction, rotation, image size change, etc.), Y/C signal correction, etc. The processing control console 2A is composed of input means such as a keyboard and mouse, and display means such as a processing operation screen and an image monitor screen.

3 is a printer, and this printer 3 includes, for example, C/M/Y/
The signals converted to each printing color signal of K (cyan, magenta, i-.black) are supplied, and 1
Color image printing is performed.

In such an image processing system, the image source (
Input data such as image signals inputted from the image signal output section 1) to the image processing device section 2 is normally temporarily stored in a storage means such as a hard disk within the image processing device section 2, and is stored in the storage means as necessary. In this method, desired data (image signals) are read out and processed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, the input data input to the image processing device section 2 includes image data in the Y/C (R-Y.B-Y) signal format and image data in the RGB signal format. , comment text data (hereinafter referred to as caption data), text data, etc. added to image data, and when saving these input data in a storage device, each data should be saved with a different identification name. However, in the former method, as the number of input data increases, the identification name of each data is changed to its own. There is a problem that it becomes difficult to configure settings while avoiding multiplexing, and for example, there may be caption data or text data related to certain image data, and each of them is registered with a different identification name. This has the disadvantage that the interrelationships between these related data tend to become unclear within the storage means. In addition, when storing in a certain set blockback format as in the latter case, the flexibility of the input/output mode of data to the storage means is limited to the set block format. For example, if you want to use part of the data in a block, you must change the database structure, etc. to output data, add new data to a block, or exchange data between different blocks. The drawback was that it was extremely difficult to do.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and therefore includes additional data extraction means for extracting data (caption data) added to image data in input data, and Registration identification consisting of a constant part (sequential data) and a variable part (additional data) using a sequential data generation means that sequentially generates different data in response to input data, and extracted character data and sequential data. and identification name creation means for creating a name, and input data is automatically held in the storage means based on the created registered identification name.

Furthermore, in order to be able to identify the type of image data, caption data, etc. within a data group that is input as one person's data and registered using a registered identification name, according to the content of each data in the input data, A means for outputting a predetermined item name is provided, and a sub-file structure divided by item name is provided within one file structure based on a registered identifier, and data is read and retained based on the item name. Each data group stored as each sub-file structure can be read out at once by referring to the registered identification name, and the desired data group can be selectively used (processed) after being read out at once. Make it.

[Operation] By using sequentially different data corresponding to each input data generated by the sequential data generating means as a part of the registered identification name, the registered name is not duplicated, and additional data can be used easily. This makes it easy to understand the data content after it has been stored.

Furthermore, since a subfile structure based on item names is provided within the file structure based on registered identifiers, flexibility in data input/output mode is added.

[Example 1] Figure 1 is a system block diagram showing an example of an image processing system in which the data retention method of the present invention can be adopted. This is an example configured so that it can be processed as a photograph.

First, we will explain this image processing system. 10 is a photographing device such as a television camera, l1 is a video reproducing device (TV monitor) for reproducing the video photographed by the photographing device 10, and 12 is a desired one screen (one frame worth of color video) of the photographed video. This is a still image transmitter that can transmit signals (signals) via telephone lines or communication satellites.

20 is a still image receiver that receives the image transmitted from the still image transmitter 12, and 2l is a receiving monitor that displays the received image. The still image signal received by the still image receiver 20, that is, the luminance signal (Y signal) and color difference signal (C (R-Y, B-Y) signal) for l frames are sequentially sent to the image processing device section 30. is input. In addition,
22 is a video disc device. VTR. Various video output devices such as a TV are shown, and these video output devices can also be used as still image signal sources.

The image processing device section 30 is configured to perform an image signal storage operation, an image processing operation, and an output processing operation as an image signal for printing on the supplied image signal, as will be described later. ．． Further, 40 is a control display 4l, a keyboard 42, a mouse 43, and a processing image monitor 4.
4, etc., and various operations of the image processing device section 30 are executed by the operation of the controller.

50 is subjected to various processing in the image processing unit 30,
For example, C, M. Y. This figure shows a printing device unit to which printing image data converted into printing color signals of K (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) is supplied and printing is performed.

By configuring the system as described above, for example, an image taken when covering a certain news is transmitted as is by the still image transmitter 12, image processing for printing is performed, and the image is directly sent to the printing device. It can supply an image signal and can be effectively used online with a paper editing system at a newspaper company, for example.

In the image processing system shown in FIG.
The image processing device section 30 is configured as shown in FIG. 2, for example, and functions as a host computer on the system. That is, a program ROM 31 that stores and holds various control programs, an input image memory (hard disk) 32 that sequentially stores image data input from an image source such as the still image receiver 20, and a CPU (processing control unit) 33. , performs various image processing for printing, C. M
,Y. It is composed of an output image memory 34 that stores output image signals converted into K (cyan, magenta, yellow black) color signals, an input/output interface unit 35 that communicates with the console 40 and inputs and outputs image data, and the like. It is something that Note that the CPU 33 includes a system control section 33A that controls the operation of each component based on an operation program, and an arithmetic processing section 3 that performs various arithmetic processing.
The still image signal input to this image processing device section 30 is
By adopting the data retention method of the present invention, as will be described later, the image is automatically stored in the input image memory (hard disk) 32 at the same time as it is input. Then, image data is read from the hard disk 32 as necessary, and image processing as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3, for example, is performed mainly by operations within the CPU 33.

When performing image processing, first load the image data to be processed from the input image memory 32 into the CPU 33 (F
IOO). In addition, the control display 41 of the console 40 displays a processing control screen showing various processing contents, for example, in the form of a menu (FIO II. The processing content is determined by inputting from (F102).The processing is executed.That is, F103a.Fl03b.F103c
- As shown in 1, a process selected from image conversion processing, noise reduction processing, saturation adjustment processing, etc. is executed.

As image conversion processing in F103a, scaling, center position change, rotation, image size change, etc. of the input original image are executed. In addition, in this flowchart, F103a
．． Although F103b... are executed in parallel, they may be executed sequentially in a predetermined order. The image signal that has undergone certain processing in F103 is sent to monitor 4 so that the operator can check the processing.
4 and displayed (F1041. Then, when performing other processing, the processing selection is made again by the operator's operation (FLO5-F1021) When all necessary image processing has been completed, Y/C The image signal formed by the signal is converted into a C/M/Y/K signal for printing (Fl06). It is stored in the output image memory 34 as output data (FI07), and is automatically converted as necessary. The image signal is outputted to the printing device section 50 by an operation from the console 40, and color printing of one image is executed using image signals of four colors of C, MY, and K.

The image processing system shown in FIG. 1 obtains a desired print image based on image data (Y/C) obtained from an image source by including an image processing unit 30 that performs such processing, for example. It has been made possible.

In the image processing system that operates as described above, data output from the still image receiver 20, that is, input data, is supplied to the image processing device section 30, and is sent to the hard disk 3.
The data to be stored in 2 is not just image data, but also has a format as shown in FIG. 4, for example. That is, as shown in the figure, the Y signal and the BY signal. When one still image signal P consisting of the R-Y signal and the image signal P are transmitted from the still image transmitter l2, a simple comment or explanatory text is added to the content of the image signal P, and the image signal It consists of caption data C that was sent electronically along with P.

An embodiment of the data retention system of the present invention will be described below, taking as an example the case where data is transmitted and inputted in this form.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing means for realizing the data retention method of this embodiment, and each block within the dashed line shown in FIG. 5 is constructed by software means within the CPU 33. This is a functional block that controls operations during data input processing.

6l is when the data in the above format (image signal P and caption data C) is input to the image processing device section 3o,
Input buffer memory means 62 temporarily stores this input data; additional data extraction means 62 extracts caption data from the input data held in input buffer memory means 61 ; Character generation means for generating ゜゛＃゜゛), 64 is timer T
A time data generation means 65 obtains time information from the input data and outputs it as sequential data for the input data, and a time data generation means 65 generates the data inputted from the additional data extraction means 62 and the time data generation means 64 and, depending on the case, the character generation means 63. Identification name creation means for automatically creating a registered identification name for input data using input characters; 6
6 is for example F Picture IJ . for the Y/C image signal P as shown in FIG. [i' Caption Jl . Furthermore, F Picture for RGB format image signals
2J]. For text data [i'WordsJ, etc.
This is an item name generating means that can output a set predetermined item name as described later.

Reference numeral 67 is a control means for controlling the operations in each of these functional blocks and the data writing operation to the hard disk 32, and transmits operation control commands and address information via the control bus B. By configuring the above functional blocks in the CPU 33, the input data is subjected to operations as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6, for example, under the control of the control means 67, and is stored in the hard disk 32.

Image signal P and caption data C as input data
is supplied and stored in the input buffer memory means 6l (F201). The time data generation unit 64 obtains the time of data input (year, month, day, hour, minute, second) from the timer T (F202). The time data is used by the identification name creation means 65.
supply to.

Further, from the data in the input buffer memory 61, a predetermined number of characters (temporarily assumed to be 12 characters in this embodiment) of caption data is extracted by the additional data extraction stage 62 (F203 to F2041. For example, 0'USA-Washingt to the image signal that shows the video of
on. If the caption data View 6, l is added, [i' USA-Washing
Extract tffl. The extracted additional data is supplied to the identification name creation means 65.

Then, the identification name creation means 65 uses the input time data and additional data to generate a registered identification name for the input data held in the input buffer memory means (F2081. Therefore, for example, July 1989
When the image of the United States is supplied to the image processing unit 30 at 23:34:51 on the 10th of the month, a registered identification name as shown in FIG. 7(a), for example, is generated. Since the created registered identification name uses time data, it is impossible for the registered identification name to be the same as the registered identification name of other input data.

Note that if the caption data C is not added as a character to the image data P (F203→F206) or if the number of characters in the caption data C is less than 12 characters (F205-F20?), the character generation means 63 The supplied "#J" is used to create a registered identification name with missing parts filled in with "#" as shown in FIG. 7(b) or (c), for example. Furthermore, if the caption data contains anything that cannot be recognized as character information, such as a space ゜゛ or a slash "/", it should be replaced with "#". In addition to creating a registered identification name, the control means 67 also refers to the input buffer memory 61 to determine the content of input data (type of image signal, caption data, character data, etc.), and controls the item name generation means 66. (F2091, and outputs the data stored from the large buffer memory 6l (for example, in this case, the image signal P and caption data C) and the registered identification name created from the identification name creation means 65, and The name generating means 66 outputs item names (in this case, T Picture IJI indicating the image signal P and caption data C, and [rCaptio
n, 1) and store it in the hard disk 32 (F21b). At this time, the storage format of the hard disk 32 is controlled so that a subfile structure based on item names is formed within a file structure based on registered identification names. Depending on the identification name, each piece of data is stored in the hard disk 32 in the format shown in FIG.

That is, for example, within a file structure based on one registered identification name F, an image signal P and caption data C are respectively [i' Picture 1fi FCaption
, jl are added and stored as related data. Furthermore, if text data etc. have been input as related data, for example, [i'Word
An item name such as sA will be added and registered in a subfile format.

By the way, in the registered identification name consisting of time data F and additional data F2, the additional data F2 portion can be changed once automatically registered in the above operation. By doing this, it becomes possible to correct cases where inaccurate or unclear caption data, etc. have been added, or to organize data in the hard disk 32. Through the above operations, each data that is supplied to the image processing device section 30 and automatically registered in the hard disk 32 based on the registered identification name is loaded as necessary as described above, and is used for image conversion processing and registration. The identification name will be changed, etc.

When reading data from the hard disk 32, a list of registered identification names is displayed on the control display 41 of the console 40 so that the operator can select the registered identification name of desired data.

When a certain registered identification name is selected, data stored as subfiles in the file structure based on the registered identification name can be read out all at once, and desired data can be selected based on the item name and various processes can be performed. It can be so. As described above, the data retention method of the image processing system of this embodiment is as follows: 1) Since the registered identification name is created using time data, duplicate names will not occur when automatically storing it, and of course, There is no need for the operator to specify the registered identification name to avoid duplication. Caption data (character data added to the image signal) is also used as the registered identification name, making it easy to understand the contents of the stored image. ■The part of the registered identifier created based on the caption data can be changed, so it is suitable for file management. ■
Because related data is held in a subfile structure within one file structure, the relationship between data becomes clear. ■Since data is read by registered identification name and item name, desired data can be read efficiently (
There is no need to change the database structure or create a specific program when reading related data. ■It has a structure in which each item is named and stored in a single file, so it can flexibly respond to data additions and changes. etc,
This data retention scheme has many advantages and makes the image processing system even more useful.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the data retention method of the image processing system of the present invention creates a registered identifier from sequential data such as time data and additional data such as caption data, and automatically stores input data. As soon as it is registered, it has a subfile structure with item names depending on the data content, so all input data has a unique registration identifier, and related data is stored in one file structure. This has the effect of greatly improving the flexibility of using stored data.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of an image processing system that can adopt the data retention method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the configuration of the image processing device section, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the image processing device section. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of data input to the image processing device section, FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the storage operation of input data, and FIG. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a registered identification name according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a storage form in a storage means according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of an image processing system. 30 is an image processing device section, 32 is a hard disk, 33
is a CPU, 40 is a console, 61 is an input buffer memory means, 62 is an additional data extraction means, 63 is a character generation means, 64 is a time data generation means, 65 is an identification name generation means, 66 is an item name generation means, 67 indicates control means.

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) In an image processing system that stores input data including at least image data in a storage means, reads out the image data from the storage means as necessary, and can perform desired processing on the image data in the input data. Additional data extraction means for extracting added data; Sequential data generation means for sequentially generating different data corresponding to each input data; Additional data output from the additional data extraction means;
identification name creation means for creating a registered identification name for the input data using the sequential data output from the sequential data generation means, and with the registered identification name created by the identification name creation means,
A data retention method for an image processing system, characterized in that the input data is retained in the storage means. (2) A means for outputting a prepared predetermined item name according to the type of each data in the input data is provided, and the input data is retained by a registered identification name created by the identification name creation means. 2. A data retention system for an image processing system according to claim 1, wherein a file structure includes a subfile structure distinguished by the item name. (3) The registered identification name created by the identification name creation means includes unchangeable data components based on the sequential data output from the sequential data generation means and additional data output from the additional data extraction means. 2. A data retention system for an image processing system according to claim 1, wherein data components that can be changed based on the data components are synthesized. (4) Each data group stored in the storage means as each sub-file structure held based on the item name within the file structure held based on the registered identification name is 2. A data retention system for an image processing system according to claim 2, wherein data can be referenced collectively by name.