JPH05324822A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily obtain various image composition effect. CONSTITUTION:A CPU (not shown in the figure) sets color information and an input source for an image to be compared with the set color information, i.e., a scanner (not shown in the figure) or a memory (not shown in the figure) is set, and a deciding circuit 127 decides whether colors are close or far by pixel units according to color information in pixel units of the image from the set input information and the set color information in pixel units and one input source is determined between the scanner (not shown in the figure) and memory (not shown in the figure) according to the correspondence between the decision result and input source, so that the image from the determined input source is outputted on a printer (not shown in the figure) by pixel units.

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 which is provided with a scanner and an image memory, and which synthesizes an image read from the scanner and an image read from the image memory and outputs the synthesized image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a composite of a multi-valued color image from an image signal generation device such as a scanner device and a multi-valued color image on a memory is performed by switching image signals by setting a rectangular area (a). .. Further, in the above composition, a bit plane for composition is prepared, and images are switched according to the contents (b). Further, in synthesizing a multi-valued color image and a binary image, a method of switching the image by a pixel signal of the binary image is also realized (c).

[0003]

However, in the conventional example of the above (a), since the switching is performed by the ordinate and the abscissa, only the combination of rectangles is possible. For example, it has been impossible to synthesize a character image on a memory with a scanner image as a background, or to fit an image of the scanner only in an indeterminate figure on the memory. Further, since the image synthesis by the bit plane which is the conventional example of (b) can synthesize any shape, the memory of the bit plane for synthesis is prepared in addition to the RGB plane for the image, and the image switching pattern is prepared. Had to be created, required extra memory, and was troublesome. Further, the conventional method of combining a binary image and a multi-valued color image in (c) is applied to the composition of multi-valued color images to switch the images depending on whether the pixels are equal to a certain specific color signal. However, it is effective when the comparison target image is a simple solid image created by CG, but in an image such as an image scanned by a scanner or an image such as a photograph, the value of the color signal is even in an area of the same color in appearance. Since it fluctuates with a range, it will be an unnatural composition.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional example, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus which can easily obtain various image combining effects.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the object, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of first setting means for setting color information and a plurality of image input sources for comparing with the color information set by the first setting means. Second setting means set in different input sources, pixel-based color information of the image from the input source set by the second setting means, and pixel-based color information set by the first setting means One input source from the plurality of different input sources according to the correspondence between the determination means for determining the perspective of the color on a pixel-by-pixel basis, and the determination result of the determination means and the input source set by the second setting means. And an output means for outputting the image from the input source determined by the determining means in pixel units.

[0006]

According to this structure, the first setting means sets the color information, and the second setting means uses a plurality of different image input sources for comparison with the color information set by the first setting means. The pixel unit is set in the input source, and the determination unit is based on the pixel unit color information of the image from the input source set by the second setting unit and the pixel unit color information set by the first setting unit. The color perspective is determined, the determination means determines one input source from a plurality of different input sources according to the correspondence between the determination result of the determination means and the input source set by the second setting means, and the output means determines. The image from the input source determined by the means is output pixel by pixel.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. <First Embodiment> A preferred first embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

The principle of the present invention is as follows.

First, a reference color X = for switching images.
(R, G, B) is arbitrarily set. Next, it is selected whether the image to be compared with the color X is the image from the scanner (hereinafter referred to as “IS”) or the image from the memory (hereinafter referred to as “IM”). Then, for each pixel, the pixel of the image (IM or IS) determined in advance is compared with the color X, and if the color is close, the pixel of either one of the images is output, and if not, the other pixel is output. Output the pixels of the image.
It is set in advance which image is output when the colors are close.

The comparison of the standard color X = (R, G, B) with the color Y = (r, g, b) is as follows: | r-R |, | g-G
If |, | b−B | are all smaller than a certain value D, color X
And the color Y is determined to be close. This value D is also set arbitrarily.

In the first embodiment, an image synthesizing circuit in a multi-valued color copying apparatus with a memory for synthesizing an image read from a scanner and an image on a memory and printing will be described.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image synthesizing circuit according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a timing chart of image signals according to the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, one page image is represented by dot sequential raster scan. One pixel is represented by brightness of 8 bits for each of RGB. In addition to 8 bits of image data signal, LS (Line Sync.) Signal of CLK signal which is a synchronization clock and main scanning synchronization signal, PE (Page Enable) signal which shows the signal of the image printable area in the sub scanning direction And a VE (Video Enable) signal of the main scanning image area signal is used (FIG. 3).

In FIG. 1, 101 to 113 are signal lines, and 120
To 123 are flip-flops, and 124 to 126 and 129.
Is a selector, 127 is a determination circuit, and 128 is an ExOR gate.

In the above structure, the output ports of the CPU (or the outputs of the flip-flops that can be arbitrarily set from the CPU) are circled, and S140 and S
It is shown by 141. The image data signal 101 from the scanner passes through flip-flops 120 and 121, is decomposed into image data signals 103, 102 and 101 of three colors, and is input to A of selectors 124, 125 and 126. Similarly, the image data signal 104 from the memory is the flip-flop 1
Image data signals 106,1 of three colors passing through 22,123.
05, 104, selectors 124, 125, 1
26 is input to B. Selectors 124, 125, 12
Reference numeral 6 is for selecting an image to be compared with a color X designated in advance.
When 140 is L, the image signal from the scanner is input to the determination circuit 127, and when S140 is H, the image signal from the memory is input to the determination circuit 127. The determination circuit 127 determines whether or not the preset color X and the input color signal are close to each other on a pixel-by-pixel basis, and outputs E = H if close and E = L if close. The output 111 of the decision circuit passes through the ExOR gate 128,
The other input is the CPU output port S141,
When S141 is L, the output 111 of the determination circuit is directly input to the select of the selector 129, and when S141 is H,
The output 111 of the determination circuit is inverted and input to the select of the selector 129. This designates which image is selected when the determination result is that the color is close to the color X. The output of the ExOR gate 128 causes the selector 1
At 29, either the image signal from the scanner or the image signal from the memory is selected and output to the printer. In the image synthesizing circuit (FIG. 1) described above, a delay of one pixel occurs, so that the synchronization signal in the scanner and the memory is 3 CLK.
It is necessary to delay (one pixel) and use it as a printer synchronization signal. The effects of the CPU ports S140 and S141 are summarized as follows.

When S140 is L, switching is performed according to the pixel color of the image from the scanner, when S140 is H, switching is performed according to the pixel color of the image from the memory, and S141 is L
When the color is close to the color X, the memory image is selected, and when the color is close to the color X, the scanner image is selected. When the color is close to the color X, the memory image is selected.

FIG. 2 shows a decision circuit 127 according to the first embodiment.
3 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of FIG.

In the figure, 250 to 252 are output ports, 201 to 216 are signal lines, 230 to 235 are adder / subtractors, 236 to 238 are window comparators, 239 is an AND gate, 240 is a ternary counter, 241 is a selector, 242 is a flip-flop, 243 is a NOR, 24
Reference numerals 4 denote inverters, respectively.

In the above configuration, the brightness data signals 108, 109 and 110 of the respective colors are transmitted to the window comparator 2.
It is input to X of 36, 237 and 238. The window comparator is a gate in which the output Y is H when the value of the input X is greater than or equal to the input A and less than or equal to the input Y, and L otherwise. On the other hand, R, G, B CPU ports 250, 25
The components R, G, B of the color X set by 1, 252 are added / subtracted by the adders / subtractors 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 23.
5, the allowable range D of the color set by the CPU port 253 is added to the adder / subtractor 230, 231, 232,
233, 234, 235 are input to B, and the operation results 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210 are A and B of the window comparators 236, 237, 238.
Entered in. Window comparators 236 and 23
The outputs 211, 212, and 213 of 7,238 are input to the AND gate 239. Therefore, the values of the luminance signals 108, 109, 110 of the respective colors input to the determination circuit 127 are compared with the set components R, G, B of the color X, and the three differences are within the allowable range D or less. The output of the AND gate 239 becomes H only at a certain time. However, since the output 214 of the AND gate 239 changes for each clock, the comparison is performed even when the luminance signals 108, 109, 110 of the respective colors do not correspond to R, G, B, respectively.
Therefore, the brightness of one pixel RGB is 108 and 10 respectively.
A circuit for outputting only the comparison result in the case of 9,110 is a circuit including a selector 241 and a flip-flop 242. Bit 1 of the ternary counter 240 (begins to be H only when the color is B) that starts counting when the image area signal VE becomes H is input to the select of the selector 241, and the AND gate 2 only in the cycle in which the color is B.
The output 214 of 39 is selected, and the output of the flip-flop 242 is selected otherwise. Flip-flop 242
Operates at the falling edge of CLK and C in the RGB cycle
The determination result of the previous pixel is output at the rising edge of LK.

With the image synthesizing circuit described above, it is possible to switch the image of only the designated color portion of the image from the scanner (scanner image) or the image of the memory (memory image).

Therefore, an example of switching the image of only the designated color portion will be described.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an image synthesizing procedure according to the first embodiment. In (1), (2), and (3) of FIG.
The step of synthesizing the scanner image and the memory image to obtain the synthesis result is shown. By setting the ports S1 and S2 of the CPU, the following four types of composition are possible. It should be noted that the two values enclosed by <and> are the CPU ports S1 and S2 in order.
Indicates the setting value of.

FIG. 4A shows a step <H, L> in which only the designated color portion in the memory image is converted into the memory image.

In this case, an image in which a scanner image is used as a background and a graphic (character) of a designated color in the memory is placed on the background, that is, a composite image is obtained.

Further, a composite image except the image of the scanner can be obtained from the image of the monochrome frame of the memory.

FIG. 4B shows a step <H, H> in which only the designated color portion in the memory image is converted into the scanner image.

In this case, a composite image can be obtained by excluding the scanner image from the graphic portion of the designated color in the memory.

Further, it is possible to obtain a composite image in which the characters of the specified color of the memory image are patterned with the image of the scanner.

FIG. 4C shows the step <L, L> of converting only the designated color portion in the scanner image into the memory image.

In this case, a composite image is obtained in which the designated color portion in the scanner image has a pattern on the memory.

Although not shown, there is a step <L, H> in which only the designated color portion of the scanner image is made into the scanner image.

In this case, a composite image is obtained in which the monochrome image of the scanner image is placed on the memory image.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, in addition to the setting of the designated color, the range of the color judged to be close to the designated color and the comparison target with the designated color are set in the image from the scanner. It is possible to set whether the image is to be output or the image in the memory, and which image is to be output at the position of a pixel having a color close to the designated color, so that various image combining effects can be easily obtained. <Second Embodiment> A preferred second embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the image IS from the scanner and the image IM from the memory occupy in one page and the method of determining whether or not the colors are close to each other. It is a point.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the image area and the image area signal according to the second embodiment.

First, in the second embodiment, the image IS from the scanner and the image IM from the memory are not necessarily one page 5
01 does not always have the size of the whole, but has the position and the size in one page 502 designated by some means. The image synthesizing circuit of this embodiment functions in a portion where the area of the image IS and the area of the image IM overlap. In the first embodiment, VE of the image IS and the image IM
However, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, VE of the image signal coming from the scanner is VES and VE of the image signal read from the memory is VEM. The image IS503 read from the scanner and the image IM504 stored in the memory are combined into one page, and in the overlapping portion 505, the image from the scanner or the image from the memory is close to the specified color. The image to be output is switched on a pixel-by-pixel basis depending on whether it is close or not.

Next, in the second embodiment, it is judged as follows whether the color Y = (r, g, b) is close to the reference color X = (R, G, B). That is, now R + G + B
= 1 (however, if not, R / S, G /
S, B / S (S = R + G + B) may be newly set as R, G, B). And Y '= (r', g ', b') =
Based on (r / s, g / s, b / s) (s = r + b + b), all of | r'-R |, | g'-G |, and | b'-B | are smaller than a certain value D. In this case, it is determined that the color X and the color Y are close to each other. However, if s is smaller than a certain value L, it is assumed that the color X and the color Y are not close to each other. Thus R,
By making a determination using the ratio of G and B, it becomes possible to regard areas having the same shade even in areas having shadows due to unevenness such as photographs of clothes. When s is smaller than a certain value L, it is determined that the colors are not close to each other because the solid line circuit treats the numerical values as integers.
This is because when all the values of b are small, the error becomes large when normalized (however, normalization is adjusted so that the ratio of the three values is almost preserved and the sum is almost equal to a constant value). To do).

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the structure of the image synthesizing circuit according to the second embodiment. Also in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, it is incorporated in a multi-value color copying apparatus with a memory.

In FIG. 6, 640 and 641 are output ports of the CPU (or outputs of flip-flops that can be arbitrarily set by the CPU), 601 to 616 are signal lines, and 620 to 620.
623 is a flip-flop, and 624 to 626, 630,
631 is a selector, 627 is a determination circuit, and 628 is ExO.
An R gate and 629 are NANDs, respectively. With the above configuration, the image data signal 60 from the scanner
1 passes through flip-flops 620 and 621, is decomposed into image data signals 603, 602 and 601 of three colors, and is input to A of selectors 624, 625 and 626. Similarly, the image data signal 604 from the memory passes through the flip-flops 622 and 623 and the image data signal 60 of the three colors.
6, 605, 604, selectors 624, 62
It is input to B of 5,626. Selector 624, 62
Reference numerals 5 and 626 are for selecting an image to be compared with the color X designated in advance. By the output port S1 of the CPU, if S1 = L, the image signal from the scanner is output, and S1 = H.
Then, the image signal from the memory is input to the determination circuit 627. The determination circuit 627 determines whether or not the preset color X and the input color signal are close to each other on a pixel-by-pixel basis, and outputs E = H if close and E = L if close. The output 611 of the decision circuit passes through the ExOR gate 628,
The other input is the output port S2 of the CPU
= L, the output of the judgment circuit 611 is inverted and the selector 6
Enter in A of 30. This designates which image is selected when the determination result is that the color is close to the color X. The selector 630 passes the signal 613 based on the determination result only when VES and VEM are both H, that is, when the image from the scanner and the image from the memory overlap each other, and outputs the VEM signal in other cases. With the output 615 of the selector 630, either the image signal from the scanner or the image signal from the memory is selected by the selector 631 and output to the printer. In this image synthesizing circuit, since a delay of one pixel occurs, it is necessary to delay the synchronizing signal in the scanner and the memory by 3 CLK (for one pixel) to be the synchronizing signal of the printer. The effects of the CPU ports S1 and S2 are summarized as follows.

When S1 = L, switching is performed according to the pixel color of the image from the scanner, when S1 = H, switching is performed according to the pixel color of the image from the memory, and when S2 = L, color X
If S2 = H, a memory image is selected if it is close to, and a scanner image is selected if S2 = H.
Select a memory image if it is not near.

7 and 8 are block diagrams showing the internal structure of the decision circuit 627 according to the second embodiment.

In the figure, 701 to 722 are signal lines,
730 is an adder, 731 to 733 are multipliers, 734 is a comparator, 735 to 740 are adder / subtracters, 741 to 74.
3 is a window comparator, 744 is an AND gate, 7
45 is a NAND, 746 is a NOR, 747 is a ternary counter, 748 is a selector, and 749 is a flip-flop.

In the above structure, the luminance data signals 608, 609, 610 of the respective colors are first added by the adder 730, and the sum 701 is input to the dividers 731, 732, 733. The brightness data signals 608, 609, 610 of the respective colors are divided by the sum 701 by the multipliers 731, 732, 733, and 256 times the numerical values are input to the X of the window comparators 741, 742, 743 in the next stage. On the other hand, the components R, G, B of the color X set by the CPU ports 752, 753, 754 are added / subtracted by the adder / subtractor 73.
5, 736, 737, 738, 739, 740 is input to A and the allowable range D of the color set by the CPU port 751 is the adder / subtractor 735, 736, 737, 738, 7
39, 740 is input to A, and the color common range D set by the CPU port 751 is added / subtracted by the adders / subtractors 735, 73.
Input to B of 6,737,738,739,741
The calculation results 708, 710, 711, 713, 71
4, 716 are window comparators 741, 742,
Input to A and B of 743. However, CPU port 7
The components R, G, of the color X set to 52, 753, 754
B is set so that the total sum is about 256. Then, the total sum 70 of the luminance signals 608, 609, 610 of the respective colors is
The output 703 of the comparator 734 and the output 703 of the window comparators 741, 742, and 743, which become H when 1 is less than the lower limit of the total brightness D set in the CPU port 750.
17, 718, and 719 are input to the AND gate 744. Therefore, the normalized values of the luminance signals 608, 609, 610 of the respective colors input to the determination circuit 627 are compared with the components R, G, B of the color X set by being normalized in advance, and the difference is 3 Both are within the allowable range D,
Further, only when the sum of the luminance signals 608, 609, 610 of each color is equal to or more than the luminance sum lower limit value L, the AND gate 644.
Output becomes H (here, normalization means adjusting the total of the three values to be about 256 while keeping the ratio of the three values almost the same). However, this AND gate 744
Since the output 720 of each color changes for every clock, the luminance signals 608, 609, 610 of the respective colors are respectively R, G,
Even if it does not correspond to B, the comparison is made. Therefore,
The brightness of one pixel RGB is 608, 609, and 610, respectively.
The circuit for outputting only the comparison result when
It is a circuit including a selector 748 and a flip-flop 749. Either of the image area signals VES and VEM is H
The ternary counter 74 that starts counting from when
Bit 1 of 7 (only H when color is B) is selector 7
The output 720 of the AND gate 744 is selected only in the cycle of which the color is B and is input to the select signal of 48, and the output of the flip-flop 749 is selected in other cases. The flip-flop 749 operates at the falling edge of CLK, and RGB
The determination result of one pixel before is output at the rising edge of CLK in the cycle.

By the image synthesizing circuit described above, it is possible to switch the image from the scanner or the image of only the designated color portion of the image in the memory. CPU port S
It is possible to combine four types by setting 1 and S2.
This is similar to the first embodiment. However, in the second embodiment, since the position and size of the image from the scanner and the image in the memory can be set, respectively, it is possible to limit the area to which the image combination is applied, and a similar color portion can be created in one page. It is possible to switch images only in a desired portion even if there are a plurality of locations. Further, by normalizing and comparing the colors in determining whether the colors are close to each other, the shaded area can be regarded as the same color area.

Therefore, since the image is switched for each pixel, non-rectangular composition is also possible. Further, since the switching is determined based on the pixel signal of the image, it is not necessary to prepare a bit plane for synthesis separately from the RGB plane, the memory can be effectively used, and it does not take time and effort.

Further, the comparison with the designated color is made by judging whether or not the colors are close to each other, so that even if the multivalued color image is compared with the target, unnatural combination does not occur.

The present invention may be applied to either a system composed of a plurality of devices or an apparatus composed of a single device. Further, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to the case where it is achieved by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus.

[0048]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A wide variety of image composition effects can be easily obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image synthesizing circuit according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a determination circuit 127 according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart of an image signal according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an image synthesizing procedure according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between an image area and an image area signal according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image synthesizing circuit according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a determination circuit 627 according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a decision circuit 627 according to the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101-113 signal line 120-123 flip-flop 124-126,129 selector 127 determination circuit 128 ExOR gate 250-252 output port 201-216 signal line 230-235 adder / subtractor 236-238 window comparator 239 AND gate 240 ternary counter 241 Selector 242 Flip-flop 243 NOR 244 Inverter 501 One page 502 Specified one page 503 IS 504 IM 640, 641 Output port 601-616 Signal line 620-623 Flip-flop 624-626, 630, 631 Selector 627 Judgment circuit 628 ExOR gate 629 NAND 701 to 722 Signal line 730 Adder 731 to 733 Multiplier 734 Comparator 735 to 740 Adder / subtractor 41-743 window comparator 744 AND gate 745 NAND 746 NOR 747 3 binary counter 748 selector 749 flip-flop

Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display location // G09G 5/36 9177-5G

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A first setting unit for setting color information, and a second setting unit for setting an image input source for comparison with the color information set by the first setting unit among a plurality of different input sources.
Setting means, and the color perspective in pixel units based on the pixel unit color information of the image from the input source set by the second setting means and the pixel unit color information set by the first setting means. Determining means that determines one of the plurality of different input sources according to the correspondence between the determination result of the determining means and the input source set by the second setting means; and the determining means. An image processing apparatus, comprising: an output unit that outputs an image from the input source determined in step 1 in pixel units. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of different input sources include at least an internal memory and an optical reading device. 3. The determining means determines the pixel-by-pixel color information of the image from the input source set by the second setting means, and the first information.
2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination result is obtained by comparing a difference between the color information in pixel units set by the setting means and a predetermined threshold value. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs a recording device as an output destination. 5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit includes an image forming unit that forms an image.