JPH05334437A - Method and device for processing image - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a method for effectively and highly accurately segmenting a prescribed area from a layout drawing (image) by inputting at least one point to the drawing and recognizing the boundary of an area having the inputted point as its inside point. CONSTITUTION:An optional point A303 in an area 302 to be segmented is picked up by moving a cursor 305 by a mouse 205 while observing a white map 301 outputted on a display 206. The inputted point A303 is set up as a center point and another point other than the center point is searched in an optional direction and a distance between the center point and a searched point is calculated. While changing the direction to be processed, the processing is uniformly repeated in all 360 deg. directions and whether the point detected by the newest search is a point on the boundary of the same closed area as that of the point detected by just preceding search or not is judged according to the extent of change in the calculated distance. Thus, most of an area can be segmented only by specifying a point in a closed area to be segmented without using much labor.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for inputting and processing a layout drawing (image) such as a map or a layout drawing so as to easily process information regarding a predetermined area of the layout drawing. .. Further, the present invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus suitable for outputting area attribute information on a layout drawing such as area marketing information and sales information corresponding to a sales floor in association with the area on the layout drawing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A method for cutting out a specific region (also referred to as an area) from a layout drawing such as a map or layout drawing inputted by a computer using an image input device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No.
No. 279008, "Image processing method and apparatus". In this method, a user draws a boundary line diagram of a predetermined area neatly from an image input device and superimposes it on a layout drawing separately input from the image input device, or outputs the layout drawing to an output device. It is output and the user is made to input a boundary diagram of a predetermined area so as to trace the boundary of the predetermined area from the screen of the output device.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned prior art, when the number of regions to be cut out on the layout is very large, for example, as in the case of (households) dwelling in a housing map,
When a large number of small areas have to be defined on a single map, the user effort required for drawing a boundary diagram (defining / cutting out areas) by boundary tracing is excessive. Although the above-mentioned prior art recognizes the problem with respect to the excessive labor, it does not mention the efficient solution. Even within the range of the above-mentioned conventional technique, it is possible to improve the drawing efficiency and reduce the labor of the user by appropriately and roughly tracing. However, while improving efficiency, there is a problem that the shape of the boundary line becomes distorted. The present invention has been made based on the recognition of such problems.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for efficiently and accurately cutting out a predetermined area of a layout drawing (image).

Other objects of the present invention can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art from the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0006]

The above object is to input a layout drawing using an image input device, output the input layout drawing to an output device, and input at least one point on the output layout drawing. This is achieved by inputting from the device, recognizing the boundary of the area having the input point as an internal point, and outputting the recognized result to the output device.

Further, in recognizing a boundary of a region, in particular, a minimum closed region surrounding an input point, a point different from the central point is searched in any one direction with the input point as a center point, and the center point is searched. The distance between the point found by the search and the point found by the search is calculated, and while changing the direction, the above processing is repeated evenly in all directions of 360 degrees surrounding the center point, and the latest This is achieved by determining whether the point found in the search is on the same closed region boundary as the point found in the search immediately before the latest search.

[0008]

[Function] In a map such as a residential map that includes a large number of small areas to be cut out, the majority of the areas are often closed areas, and most of the lines other than the boundaries of the areas are called white maps. It is easy to obtain diagrams that have not been created. In the present invention, the user can start the clipping processing of the closed area by only designating one point inside the closed area to be cut out, and therefore, with almost no labor,
The majority of the area can be cut out. Further, since the points on the boundary of the closed region to be cut out are finely and uniformly searched in all directions from the designated center point, the desired closed region can be cut out with high accuracy.

As is clear from the above, an information processing system in which a layout drawing or a drawing similar thereto is input and the drawing is used as a base is used in a map, a layout drawing of a store, or a layout drawing of parts on an electronic board. It is highly desired from an industrial and engineering point of view, such as the use of layout diagrams on IC chips. From this specification and the accompanying drawings, it is extremely easy for a person skilled in the art to infer that the present invention can be applied to many fields that are industrially and engineeringly desired.

[0010]

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

FIG. 1 is a processing flow chart showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a device configuration diagram for realizing the present embodiment.

First, the device configuration diagram shown in FIG. 2 will be described.
The device configuration is such that the computer 201 has an image input device 202,
Output device 206, storage device 203, and input device 205
Is connected. The image input device 202 is an image
This is a device called a scanner or an image reader. As will be described later, these image input devices only have to be capable of handling a black and white binary image. Output device 206
Needless to say, a color display device, particularly a high-definition color graphic display, is desirable for implementing the present invention. The storage device 203 is not limited to a magnetic storage device, but may be an optical disk or a semiconductor memory. In short, it is sufficient to have a sufficient capacity to execute the program and store the image file. The input device 205 is
Although FIG. 2 shows a pointing device (mouse), other input devices such as a keyboard may be used,
You may use them in combination. As can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art from the above description, the device configuration for implementing the present invention may be one generally called a computer or a computer system. Specifically, it may be a large-scale computer, a workstation, or a personal computer. As a matter of course, even the special-purpose device manufactured in order to carry out the present invention only needs to satisfy the functions of the peripheral devices as described above.

The processing operation in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and according to the processing flow chart of FIG.

A map 201, a layout diagram of a store or an office, a layout diagram such as an electronic circuit board or a component or element layout diagram on an IC chip is calculated by using the image input device 202.
(Step 101). Next, the input layout drawing is output to the output device 206 (step 102). The designation for an arbitrary point on the output layout drawing is input (step 103). The boundary of the area having the input point as the internal point is recognized (step 104). The boundary of an area is the outline of an administrative division, site or building if the layout map is a map. The result of recognizing the area is output to the output device 206 (step 105).

On the other hand, the identifier of the predetermined area of the layout drawing is stored in advance in the storage device 203, and this identifier is output.
It outputs to 06 (step 106). The identifier of the predetermined area may be a name or a code or symbol such as a number or an abbreviation. In terms of operability, it is desirable to output the figure to the output device 206 on the same screen as the identifier list.

The user is caused to associate the predetermined area on the output drawing with the output identifier (step 107).
In this case, the operability is improved if the display color of the designated predetermined area or identifier is changed, highlighted, or blinked in a different manner according to the user's correspondence designation. improves. Based on the correspondence from the user, the position information (coordinate value) included in the output predetermined area on the drawing is stored in the storage device 203 in association with the identifier (step 108).

Subsequently, information on the predetermined area is output to the output device 206 in correspondence with the output predetermined area on the drawing (step 109). The information on the predetermined area is as follows. If the layout map is a map, it may be information indicating business performance or dynamics for each section (administrative section, site, building, etc.), or may be information on population and land use. When the layout diagram is a layout diagram of a store or an office, it includes attribute information of the placed items and sales information of the products. When the layout diagram is a layout of components or elements on an electronic circuit board or an IC chip, it is information such as the names and models of the components or elements, and notes on mounting on the board or the chip in some cases.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user can easily cut out the boundary of the predetermined area and use it for the visual display of the area information by only inputting one point on the layout drawing.

From the above description, a person skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention, but regarding some steps of FIG. 1, a case where a blank map of a residential map is used as a layout drawing will be described in more detail.

<Step 101> FIG. 3 shows a blank map.
The blank map 301 is a map in which an area such as an administrative division, a site or a building is represented by its contour line. Here, the blank map 301 is input from the image scanner 202. The image scanner 202 displays a blank map in black and white (not black and white,
A color map is also acceptable. In short, the image scanner 202
After that, the computer 201 converts it into a binary image of the administrative division, site or building on the map and the background) (the drawing line of the map is black, the others are white). The input white map 301 is stored in the magnetic disk device 203.

<Step 102> Magnetic Disk Unit 20
The blank map 301 stored in No. 3 is output to the display 206.

<Step 103> The user moves the cursor 305 with the mouse 205 and picks an arbitrary point A (303) inside the area 302 to be cut out while looking at the blank map 301 output on the display 206. , Specify.

<Step 104> FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a method of recognizing the boundary of the minimum closed region surrounding the designated and input point A (303). Here, first, with the designated and input point A (303) as the center point, a black pixel is started to be searched in the positive direction of the x-axis. The black pixel B ₁ found first in this search is considered as a candidate for the point forming the boundary line of the desired area, and the distance AB ₁ between this and the center point A (303) is calculated. Next, the search direction is shifted clockwise once, and the black pixel is searched again from the center point A (303). Similarly to the above, the first found black pixel B ₂ is also considered as a candidate for the point forming the boundary line of the desired area, and the distance AB ₂ to the center point A 303 is calculated. Here, a change in distance between the center point A (303) and two points continuously searched, generally | AB
Calculate n ₋₁ −ABn | (in this case, n = 2). When this value is a predetermined value, for example, 3 pixels or less, it is highly likely that Bn _-1 and Bn belong to the boundary of the same area, and the above processing is further changed in the clockwise direction. Repeat while making. Eventually, it will be repeated in all directions (360 degrees). On the other hand, when the change in the distance between the center point A (303) and the two points continuously searched exceeds 3 pixels, it is determined that the boundary trace is discontinuous (an error has occurred). For example, the area 30 shown in FIG.
In _No. 4, since the difference in distance between AB ₁ and AB ₂ is large, the following error processing is performed.

The center point C (401) is moved to a midpoint C '(402) between the point D ₂ found in the latest search and the point D ₁ found in the search just before that. With this point as the new center point, the search is restarted from the direction of D ₁ and clockwise by D ₂
Repeat until direction. If an error occurs again in the middle of this repetition, the processing is immediately terminated and the center point C
(401) is moved to the vicinity thereof, for example, the point C ″ (403) at a position separated by 3 pixels in the y direction, and the process is repeated only once from the beginning. However, it has been confirmed that the probability of an error occurring again during the error processing is extremely low even if there is some blur. By the way, if the center point is moved appropriately, there is a possibility of moving to the inside of a region different from the region intended by the user. This is because when the user specifies the area, it can be expected to specify a point around the middle of the area. When the error processing proceeds smoothly and the search is repeated up to the direction of D ₂ , the center point is returned to the point C (40
Return to 1) and repeat the original search process. As described above, even if the shape of the region is somewhat complicated, or even if there is a blur or the like, the boundary can be extracted with high accuracy.

<Step 105> Above step 104
Then, if a continuous closed region can be finally extracted, a color other than black, for example, red, is displayed at the corresponding location on the blank map.
Like the area 306 of, the border is displayed thick,
The inside of the area may be filled. On the other hand, if it is not possible to finally extract consecutive closed regions, either nothing is displayed or a message indicating that extraction has failed:
The “extraction failure” is temporarily displayed on a corresponding location on the blank map, specifically, by opening a small window around the input search center point.

For a region that cannot be extracted no matter how many times it is attempted or an open region, a method as described in the prior art, for example, a sequential trace of boundaries may be executed. Alternatively, if the sequential trace is troublesome, as shown in FIG.
The user inputs points 502 and 503 on the main boundary of 01, and the system sets a small rectangular parallelepiped 504 including the two points as a limited search range, in which the boundary line is a well-known image processing technique. For example, the boundary may be automatically traced by searching the connection relation of 8 neighboring pixels. As a result, it is possible to trace the boundary of the open region with high accuracy and without much effort by the user.

It should be noted that the boundary of the extracted closed region is always 360
It is very inefficient to keep it as a set of more than one point. Therefore, a representative point is set so that the boundary is represented by a small number of points within a range that does not distort the shape of the boundary, and this is stored in the magnetic disk device 203. Whether or not it is a representative point is determined as follows.

Of the vectors obtained by connecting search points B _i in order from i = 1 in order, when the angle change between two adjacent vectors exceeds a predetermined value, for example, 5 degrees, the common point is the representative point. To judge.

<Step 106> Area attribute table 6
02 is displayed on the same display 206 as the boundary diagram 306 (FIG. 6). Area attribute table 602 is N
o. , Area code and area name field. The area name field is not always necessary, but it is provided because it is convenient for the user to manage the area attribute table 602. The user creates the area attribute table 602 in advance so that each area indicated by the area code corresponds to each area indicated by the boundary diagram 306. When each household is managed as an area like a residential map, the area table 602 also has a huge amount of data, so a specific area (s) may be used.
Only the part corresponding to is specified and read from the magnetic disk device and displayed. As a result, it becomes possible to perform orderly association between the area and the attribute information.

<Step 107> Using the area code as an intermediary, each area in the boundary diagram 306 is connected to the area attribute. The user first selects an unregistered area (an area in the boundary diagram 306 that is not associated with the area attribute table 602) from the displayed areas, for example, somewhere in the “04 area” 601. With the mouse 205. Then, the system blinks the entire "04 area" including the point inside. Next, the user selects one tuple in the area attribute table 602, for example, No. Point somewhere in the tuple of 3. The system then blinks the entire tuple. As a result, the connection instruction information (correspondence) is input to the computer (system).

<Step 108> As shown in FIG. 6, the boundary diagram 306 is managed in the xy coordinate system. The area code is stored in the area code field in the connection table 801 shown in FIG. 8 based on the connection instruction information (correspondence relationship) by pointing in step 107.
For example, the pixel with coordinates (X, Y) = (2, 2) is “04”.
If it is included in the area, N in the connection table 801
o. Area code 04 is added to the area code field of = m + 2. In this way, if the area 601 of the boundary diagram 306 in FIG. 6 is associated with the “04” area, the boundary of the area 601 is cut out, and all pixels in the cut out area are associated with the figure. Connection table 80 shown in FIG.
Area code 04 is added to the area code field in 1. A null code (indicated by "-" here) is included in the coordinates where the corresponding area is not registered. In addition,
The concatenation table 801 shown in FIG. 8 stores the area code corresponding to the pixel, but conversely, the area code is stored.
Corresponding to the code, the coordinate values of the pixels included in the area represented by the area code may be stored.

<Step 109> Since the boundary line of the area is registered in black (when the output of the image input device 202 is obtained as a binary value of black and white as described above), all pixels in an area within the area image are registered. Is sequentially determined, and a number is assigned to the color palette 901 in FIG. 9 so that a specific color is obtained only in the case of white. The area-based actual performance table 701 shown in FIG. 7 is applied to all areas by using the above method.
Refer to to perform color conversion of the area and display 20
Output to 6. The above-mentioned tables (area attribute table 602, area-based performance information table 701, concatenated table 801) are stored in the magnetic disk device 203.

When map information is obtained in color, the area is not painted in a specific color, but the parts other than the boundaries of buildings and roads are colored, and the characters and symbols drawn on the map and By changing the overall color tone in the area with a light color so that the boundary line can be identified, the screen becomes easier for the user to see.

According to the detailed description of this embodiment, it is possible to easily and accurately define an area boundary line having a complicated shape or blur.

In the above embodiments, the case where the user inputs the search center point one by one has been described, but the system itself can also substitute this. Specifically, if a large number of search center points are set at random or fixed positions in advance, a large number of regions can be cut out without any effort by the user. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, if search center points 1001, 1002 and 1003 are set, the area 302 can be cut out in any of them. Of course, when there are a large number of regions, or when there is a region that does not happen to include the search center point, uncut regions may remain. Only in such a case, the user should take action.

Next, an embodiment for realizing the image processing method and apparatus according to the present invention on the apparatus configuration diagram shown in FIG. 2 is shown in FIG.
Will be explained. Since the outline of the device configuration is the same as that of FIG. 2, its explanation is omitted. The present embodiment will be described in correspondence with the functions described with reference to FIG.

The layout drawing input using the image input device 202 is output to the output device 206. An arbitrary point on the output layout drawing is input from the input device 205. Recognize the boundary of the area that has the input points as internal points (110
1). The recognized result is output to the output device 206. The correspondence between the predetermined area on the output diagram and the output identifier is
Let them be attached to the (1102). Based on the correspondence from the user, the position information (coordinate value) included in the output predetermined area on the drawing is stored in the storage device 203 in association with the identifier (1103). The information related to the predetermined area is selected from the table stored in the storage device 203 in association with the predetermined area on the output diagram (1104), and the output device 2
It outputs to 06.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, as in the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 1, the user can easily cut out the boundary of the predetermined area by inputting only one point on the layout drawing. It can be used for visual display of area information.

Further, the present embodiment provides a suggestion to the case where each function realized by the computer is realized by a dedicated circuit, and is useful for a circuit engineer to realize a dedicated device.

[0040]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a layout drawing is processed so that it is easy to process information related to a predetermined area of the layout drawing (image) such as a map or layout drawing. The remarkable effect that the method and the device can be provided is exhibited.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a processing flowchart showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a device configuration for carrying out the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method of designating and inputting points inside a region to be cut out on a blank map.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of recognizing a boundary line of a minimum closed region surrounding an input point.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of accurately tracing a boundary in an open area by only inputting a main point.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example in which an image for identifying a region and an identifier are displayed on an output device.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a sales record table for each area used for merchandising, which is one of the application fields of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a concatenation table that stores a correspondence relationship between an area code and coordinates of pixels included in an area indicated by the area code.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method of displaying information regarding a region.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method in which the system sets a search center point on behalf of a user.

11 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment that realizes the image processing method and device according to the present invention on the device configuration diagram shown in FIG. 2 in correspondence with the functions described with reference to FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

201 ... Calculator, 202 ... Image Input Device, 20
3 ... storage device, 205 ... input device, 206 ...
・ Output device

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Hitoshi Shibata 1-24-5 Oi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside Hitachi Business Equipment Co., Ltd.

Claims (18)

[Claims] 1. A layout drawing is input using an image input device, the input layout drawing is output to an output device, and at least one point is input from the input device on the output layout drawing, An image processing method, comprising: recognizing a boundary of a region having an input point as an internal point and outputting the recognized result to an output device. 2. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the layout map is a blank map. 3. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the recognized area is a minimum closed area surrounding the input point. 4. The image processing method according to claim 3, wherein the boundary of the closed region is recognized by using the input point as a center point and moving the point different from the center point in any one direction. Is calculated, the distance between the center point and the point found in the search is calculated, and while the above processing is changed, the distance is uniformly repeated in all directions of 360 degrees surrounding the center point, and the calculation is performed. According to the degree of change in the distance, it is determined whether the point found in the latest search is on the same closed region boundary as the point found in the search immediately before the latest search. An image processing method characterized by the above. 5. The image processing method according to claim 4, wherein a point found in the latest search is a point of the latest search while the area boundary search processing is repeated in all directions. When it is determined that the center point is not on the same closed area boundary as the point found in the previous search, the center point is found in the latest search and the search immediately before the latest search. The search is restarted from the direction of the point found in the search immediately before the latest search with the moved point as a new center point, and the restarted search is replaced with the latest search. An image processing method characterized by repeating up to the direction of the point found in. 6. The image processing method according to claim 4, wherein a boundary of one closed area cannot be constructed at a point found by repeating the boundary search processing of the area in all directions, An image processing method, wherein the center point is moved to the vicinity of the center point, and all the processes are restarted from the beginning. 7. The image processing method according to claim 4, wherein when a boundary of one closed area can be constructed at a point found by repeating the boundary search processing of the area in all the directions, Among the points forming the boundary of one closed region, all the directed line segments that connect two points that are adjacent to each other in order are created, and two points that share one point are created from the created directed line segments. The difference between the directions of the two directed line segments is detected, and the shared point of the two directed line segments is represented by the magnitude of the difference between the detected directions as a representative of the points forming the boundary of the one closed region. An image processing method characterized by determining whether or not it is appropriate. 8. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the number of points and the designated location is predetermined for the input of the points. 9. The image processing method according to claim 4, wherein all the closed regions that have recognized the boundary are classified into at least one set, and an arbitrary one is selected from the classified sets. An image processing method, wherein one set is designated, and for each of the designated sets, information regarding a closed region included in the set is output to the output device. 10. An image input device for inputting a layout drawing, an output device for outputting a layout drawing input using the image input device, and an input for inputting at least one point on the output layout drawing. An image processing apparatus comprising: an apparatus, means for recognizing a boundary of a region having the input point as an internal point, and means for outputting the recognized result to the output device. 11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the layout map is a blank map. 12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the recognized area is a minimum closed area surrounding the input point. 13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the boundary recognizing means of the closed region has a center point at the input point and is different from the center point in any one direction. A means for searching for a point, a means for calculating the distance between the center point and the point found by the search, and the above-mentioned processing while changing the direction, uniformly in all directions of 360 degrees surrounding the center point. According to the degree of change in the calculated distance, the point found in the latest search is the point found in the search immediately before the latest search, and the point on the boundary of the same closed region. An image processing apparatus comprising: a means for determining whether or not there is an image processing apparatus. 14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the means for repeating the area boundary search processing in all the directions is such that the point found in the latest search is in the middle of the repeating processing, When it is determined that it is not a point on the same closed region boundary as the point found in the search immediately before the latest search, the center point is set to the point found in the latest search and immediately before the latest search. Moved to the point found in the search of, the moved point as a new center point, from the direction of the point found in the search immediately before the latest search, restart the search, the restarted search The image processing apparatus is characterized in that the process is repeated up to the direction of the point found in the latest search. 15. The image processing device according to claim 13, wherein the means for repeating the boundary search processing of the area in all directions can configure the boundary of one closed area at the points found in the search. If not, the image processing apparatus is characterized in that the center point is moved to the vicinity of the center point, and all the processes are restarted from the beginning. 16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein when a boundary of one closed area can be constructed at a point found by repeating the boundary search processing of the area in all the directions, Among the points forming the boundary of one closed area, a means for creating all the directed line segments that sequentially connect two points adjacent to each other, and one point is shared from the created directed line segments. Means for detecting the difference between the directions of the two directed line segments, and the size of the difference between the detected directions forms the shared point of the two directed line segments as a boundary of the one closed region. An image processing apparatus comprising: a means for determining whether or not the point is appropriate. 17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the point input device has means for predetermining at least one of the number of points and a designated place. Processing equipment. 18. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the means for classifying all the closed regions that have recognized the boundary into at least one set, and any one of the classified sets. An image processing apparatus comprising: a unit for designating one set; and a unit for outputting, for each of the designated sets, information on a closed region included in the set to the output device.