JPH05250511A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To miniaturize a device by storing an image input and an image output in the same unit and operating them in the same carrying system to perform the simultaneous parallel operation of the input and the output. CONSTITUTION:A printer unit 100a consists of a scanner part 1a which inputs the image pattern of a form, a printing part 2a which outputs an image, characters, or the like, and a printer control part 3a which performs such control that the scanner part 1a and the printing part 2a are operated in the same carrying system. A recognition processing unit 300 consists of an image processing part 300-1 which processes the image pattern sent from the scanner part 1a (1b), a recognition processing part 300-2 for pattern recognition, and a form classification recognition processing part 300-3 which performs the processing of a form to be used or the like. The recognition processing unit 300 is shared between image input/output blocks 100a and 100b, and the output is supplied to corresponding to image input/output blocks.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus for efficiently and rapidly performing input processing, output processing and recognition processing of image data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional image processing apparatus of this type is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the image input unit 21 for inputting an image, the image output unit (printer unit) 22 for outputting the image, and the control unit 23 for recognizing, processing and displaying the image are composed of three units. However, the input operation and the output operation are processed as different functional operations.

The image input unit 21 is composed of a scanner section 11 for inputting an image pattern of a sheet and a scanner control section 13 for controlling the same, and an image output unit 22 is a printing section 10 for outputting an image pattern or a character pattern. And a print control section 12 for controlling the same, and the control unit 23 displays an image and inputs data, and an image processing section / recognition processing section 17 for performing image pattern processing and character recognition processing. KB / CRT (keyboard / cathode ray tube) section 19
A KB / CRT control unit 18 for controlling this, a processor unit 16 for controlling the entire control unit 23, and a scanner interface unit 15 for controlling the interface between the image input unit 21 and the image output unit 22. It is composed of a printer interface unit 14.

A scanner section 11 composed of an image input device such as a CCD sensor or a contact image sensor.
Image information of a sheet such as a voucher is input by the image input unit 21 having a label and sent to the control unit 23.

The control unit 23 performs character recognition and image recognition processing, and the resulting image information is KB.
The image is displayed on the / CRT unit 19 and is output on a sheet of which image is input through the image output unit 22 or a sheet other than this sheet.

Image processing is performed by the series of operations described above.

[0007]

In the conventional image processing apparatus described above, since the image input unit 21 and the image output unit (printer unit) 22 are separate units, the image input operation and the image output are performed. The operation is completely different from the operation on the time axis, and if you want to perform input / output, two operations by humans are required, and the image processing time plus the processing time for input and output is added. There was a problem that it was necessary.

Further, the image input section 21 and the control unit 23 including the image processing section / recognition processing section 17 require a large device, which causes a problem that the entire image processing apparatus becomes large.

Further, if the type of the form to be used, for example, the output format is different, the setting of the recognition process and the output operation must be changed corresponding to the type each time.

The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems,
An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of shortening the processing time, reducing the installation space of the apparatus, and greatly improving the degree of freedom in selecting the output format and the like.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An image processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a scanner section for inputting an image pattern of a sheet, a printing section for outputting an image pattern, a character pattern, etc., the printing section and the scanner section for the same conveyance. A printer unit including a printer control unit for controlling operation in the system, a printer interface unit having an interface with the printer unit, a KB / CRT unit for displaying data such as an image pattern and inputting data, and the KB unit. / CRT control unit for controlling KB / CRT control unit, printer interface unit, and KB / CRT
Section and a processor section for performing overall control of the KB / CRT control section, and a recognition processing unit shared by a plurality of image input / output blocks including the printer unit and the control unit. The recognition processing unit includes an image processing unit for processing and outputting an image pattern supplied from the plurality of image input / output blocks into an output image, and corresponding information for recognizing characters and the like from the supplied image pattern. And a form type recognition processing unit that performs a recognition process on a form type identifier that specifies the type of form to be used from the supplied image pattern and outputs corresponding control information.

[0012]

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the image processing apparatus of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image processing apparatus of this embodiment reads and inputs image patterns (including character patterns), outputs processed image patterns, and displays these patterns. Two image input / output blocks 1000a and 1000b of configuration
And a recognition processing unit 300 which is shared by the two blocks and recognizes and processes the image pattern.

The image input / output block 1000a (for the description of the image input / output block 1000b and the units constituting the image input / output block 1000b, read a by replacing a with b in the following description), the printer unit 100.
a and a control unit 200a.

The printer unit 100a is controlled so that the scanner section 1a for inputting an image pattern of a sheet, the printing section 2a for outputting an image and characters, and the scanner section 1a and the printing section 2a are operated in the same transport system. And a printer control section 3a.

The control unit 200a includes a printer interface section 4a having an interface with the printer unit 100a, a processor section 5a for controlling the entire control unit 200a, and a KB for displaying an image pattern and inputting data. / CRT section 8a and a KB / CRT control section 7a for controlling the same.

The recognition processing unit 300 includes a scanner unit 1.
An image processing unit 300-1 that processes the image pattern sent from a or 1b, and a recognition processing unit 300-2 that performs pattern recognition, such as character recognition.
And a form type recognition processing unit 3 that receives a form type image and recognizes a form or the like to be used, and performs processing for the form or the like.
00-3 and the like. The recognition processing unit 300 has the image input / output block 1000 as described above.
It is shared by a and 1000b, and its output is supplied to the corresponding image input / output block.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

First, a sheet such as an input slip is inserted into the printer unit 100a, and the image pattern of the slip is input by the scanner unit 1a. The input image pattern is transferred to the recognition processing unit 300, and predetermined image processing, character recognition processing, and form type recognition processing are performed.

The pattern signal 20a subjected to recognition processing is KB
It is displayed on the KB / CRT unit 8a via the / CRT control unit 7a.

Further, the image information processed for the printer, the character recognition result, the form type recognition result, and the input information from the KB / CRT unit 8a and the like for output to a slip or the like are input to the printer interface by the processor unit 5a. It is sent to the printer control unit 3a via the unit 4a. Further, the printing unit 2a, under the control of the printer control unit 3a, has a predetermined format according to the form type recognition result, and outputs image data, character recognition result, KB and other input information processed into the currently input slip. Printed out.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the above-described series of operations by focusing on the movement of the paper as seen from the outside. Insert paper A,
An image is input from the scanner unit 1a, and the processing result and the like are output from the printing unit 2a to the sheet A. The sheet A is conveyed by the sheet conveying system 9a, and a series of operations of inputting and outputting image data can be performed for one sheet A.

FIG. 3 shows another example of use with the same structure. That is, in FIG. 2, one sheet A is inserted and discharged through the scanner unit 1a and the printing unit 2a.
In the above, the two sheets A and B are simultaneously operated.

First, for the sheet A, the image-processed data sent from the printer interface section 4a of the control unit 200a shown in FIG.
The print unit 2a prints and outputs the print output data which has been processed by input or the like.

After the sheet B is inserted, the image pattern of the sheet B is input by the scanner section 1a and is sent to the recognition processing unit 300 for processing.

The above-described two operations, that is, the image input and output processing operations are simultaneously performed on the paper A and the paper B, respectively.

Next, form type recognition, image output format of paper (output position, display form, etc.), print output format (print output position, character font, etc.), character recognition format (character recognition field position, character font, etc.) ) And the relationship with.

FIG. 4 shows an example of paper. On the paper 40,
The form classification portion 41 and the character recognition portion 42 are placed at a fixed position.
And a print output portion 43. Character recognition part 42
Is a part where the characters here are subjected to recognition processing by the recognition processing part 300-2, and the print output part 43 is the printing part 2
This is the part where the output of a is printed.

The form type portion 41 is a portion for writing the form type recognized by the form type recognition processing unit 300-3 by handwriting or the like.

Here, the form type is a coded type of the information of the image output format, the print output format, and the character recognition format of the paper, and is an identifier for specifying the type of the output format of the form and the like. Can be written by hand. The sheet 40 is conveyed, and the scanner unit 1a
The coded form type image pattern in the form type portion 41 is input and sent to the form type recognition processing unit 300-3 of the recognition processing unit 300, where it is subjected to recognition processing and the image input / output block 1000 as the form type information.
sent to a.

In the image input / output block 1000a,
Based on the image output format information of the paper, the print output format of the paper, and the character recognition format information included in the form type information, the printing unit 2a is controlled by the printer control unit 3a.
Printing is output to the print output portion 43 of the paper under the control of a.

The form type can be written by handwriting on the input sheet as described above, and therefore the output format can be freely selected.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, in order to make the entire apparatus compact, a small sensor such as a contact sensor is used in the scanner section 1a, and the recognition processing unit 300 is provided with two image input / output units 1000a and 1000b.
It is shared with.

[0035]

As described above, the image processing apparatus of the present invention enables simultaneous input and output parallel operation by accommodating an image input and an image output in the same unit and operating them in the same transport system. In addition, it is possible to downsize the device by using a small sensor and sharing the recognition processing unit. Furthermore, by performing form type recognition processing, the output format can be freely selected. This has the effects of shortening the time, reducing the equipment installation space, and greatly improving the degree of freedom in selecting the output format and the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a simultaneous parallel operation of the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the simultaneous and parallel operation of the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of a sheet.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a conventional image processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a, 1b, 11 Scanner section 2a, 2b, 10 Printing section 3a, 3b printer controller 4a, 4b, 14 Printer interface section 5a, 5b, 16 Flosser section 7a, 7b, 18 KB / CRT control unit 8a, 8b, 19 KB / CRT section 9a Paper transport system 12 Print control section 13 Scanner control section 15 Scanner interface section 17 Image processing section / recognition processing section 20a, 20b pattern signal 21 image input unit 22 image input unit 23, 200a, 200b control unit 40, A, B paper 41 form classification part 42 character recognition part 43 print output part 100a, 100b Printer unit 300 Recognition processing unit 300-1 Image processing unit 300-2 Recognition processing unit 300-3 Form type recognition processing unit 1000a, 1000b image input / output block

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical indication H04N 1/00 C 7046-5C

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A scanner unit for inputting an image pattern of a sheet, a printing unit for outputting an image pattern or a character pattern, and a printer control unit for controlling the printing unit and the scanner unit to operate in the same transport system. KB / for displaying a configured printer unit, a printer interface unit having an interface with the printer unit, an image pattern, etc., and inputting data.
CRT unit and KB / CRT controlling the KB / CRT unit
Control unit, the printer interface unit, and the KB
/ CRT unit and a processor unit for performing overall control of the KB / CRT control unit;
The recognition processing unit is shared by a plurality of image input / output blocks including the printer unit and the control unit, and the recognition processing unit outputs an image pattern supplied from the plurality of image input / output blocks. An image processing unit that processes and outputs an image, a recognition processing unit that recognizes characters and the like from the supplied image pattern and outputs corresponding information, and a form type that specifies the type of form to be used from the supplied image pattern An image processing apparatus comprising: a form type recognition processing unit that recognizes an identifier and outputs corresponding control information.