JPH0566747A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To treat a color image as a monochrome image and to discriminate colors constituting the image. CONSTITUTION:A desired color is inputted from a K/B 7. The part of the color matched with the color inputted before, out of image information read in from a color image information source 6, is discriminated, binarized and stored in a 1st video RAM 3. The part of an unmatched color is also binarized and stored in a 2nd video RAM 4. The image obtained by synthesizing the image in the 1st video RAM 3 and the image in the 2nd video RAM 4 and only the image of the 1st video RAM 3 are alternately displayed on a monochrome display device 2 at every fixed time, or the picture is displayed according to the selection of an operator, so that the colors constituting the original color image can be recognized even when the image information is monochrome, thereby constructing a device which is drastically inexpensive as compared with a color image processor.

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 for displaying a color image as a monochrome image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, word processors and DTP (De
In an information processing apparatus such as sk Top Publishing), each pixel forming display image data (image information) is either white or black. In the case of such a device that handles so-called binary images, a memory (hereinafter, referred to as a video RAM) that stores image information for displaying may be prepared one bit per pixel.

On the other hand, a device for handling color image information is provided with a color video RAM 133, a color display device 132, an image information source 134 as a color image supply source, and a bus master 131 for controlling the device as shown in FIG. Therefore, as the color video RAM 133, a memory having the required number of bits according to the type of color expressed for one pixel, for example, 3 bits for 8 colors and 8 bits for 256 colors is allocated. Furthermore, the device 132 capable of displaying a color image has to be used as the display device.

[0004]

As described in the conventional example, in the image processing apparatus that handles color image information, the video RAM has a capacity three times as large as eight colors and eight times as large as 256 colors as compared with that which handles binary values. Since it is necessary to prepare and the color display device is used, the image processing device becomes very expensive.

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional example, and image processing capable of recognizing a color given to original color image information by using a small-capacity video RAM and a monochrome display device. The purpose is to provide a device.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the image processing apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration. Image supplying means for supplying color image information, specifying means for specifying a desired color, and judging means for judging image information of the color specified by the specifying means from the color image information supplied by the supplying means, Binarize the color image information supplied by the supply means into binary image information 2
A binarizing unit, a first storing unit for storing binary image information, a second storing unit for storing binary image information, and image information of the color discriminated by the discriminating unit, Distribution means for distributing the image information binarized by the binarization means to the first storage means and the second storage means, the first storage means and the second storage means And a display unit for displaying the image information stored in 1. as one image.

[0007]

With the above-described structure, the image processing apparatus of the present invention allows the color forming the input color image to be designated and the portion of the designated color to be discriminated from the input image so that the image of the designated color can be identified. The binarized input image is stored separately in two binary image memories. The two stored images are subjected to a predetermined logical operation so as to clarify the designated color portion, and are newly displayed as one image in monochrome.

[0008]

【Example】

[First Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<Structure> FIG. 1 is a drawing best showing the features of this embodiment. In the figure, 1 is a bus master that occupies a bus such as a CPU, a graphics controller, a DMA controller, 2 is a monochrome display device for displaying a binary image, and 3 and 4 are color information of color image information. Is a first video RAM and a second video RAM for storing as binary image information. Reference numeral 5 denotes image information to be sent to the display device 2, either image information of the first video RAM or the second video RAM is selected, or new image information is created based on the image information of the first video RAM or the second video RAM. 6 for synthesizing
Is a color image information source for supplying color image information such as an image memory for storing color image information including color information, a hard disk or a scanner. Reference numeral 7 is a K for an operator to input necessary instructions to the image processing apparatus.
/ B, and 8 is a RAM for storing data such as parameters necessary for processing.

<Reading / storing image information> In this apparatus, image information is read from a color image information source in a video RAM
When reading in, the operator first specifies the color. A method of designating a color may be a method of designating a name given to each color such as red and blue when there are few kinds of colors supplied from the color image information source 4. When there are many types of colors, it is conceivable to specify a code such as a number uniquely assigned to each color, or specify the combination of the three primary colors. The designation is performed from the input device K / B, but considering the menu design of the color designation and the like, a new pointing device may be provided to allow the input.
The designated color is stored in the RAM 8 in the same format as the image information read from the information source 6. Only one type of color may be designated, but a plurality of colors may be designated at the same time.

Next, the image information of the color image information source 6 is set to 2
As the value image, the first video RAM 3 and the second video R
FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of the operation executed by the bus master 1 when writing to the AM4.

The bus master 1 first clears the first video RAM and the second video RAM. (S21) Next, image information is read from the color image information source 6 (S22),
If there is no image information (for example, if a code "end of data" is read), the image information reading process is terminated at that point (S23-YES). If some kind of image information is obtained (S23-NO), the RAM is designated in advance.
The designated color stored in 8 and the color information of the read image information are compared in pixel units (S24).

If the color of the pixel of interest matches the designated color, the information about the color of this pixel is discarded and the binary image is written in the first video RAM 3 (S2).
5) If they do not match, information about the color of the pixel is similarly discarded and written as a binary image in the second video RAM 4 (S26). Of course video RAM3 and video RA
In M4, the same address is assigned to the same pixel. Therefore, the image information input from the information source 6 is divided into two parts depending on whether or not it is the designated color. That is, only the partial image of the designated color is stored in the first video RAM 3, and the remaining partial images are stored in the second video RAM. When a plurality of colors are designated, if any of the designated colors matches, the designated color is processed.

When writing to the video RAM 3 and the video RAM 4, it is sufficient to simply ignore the color information when writing.
For example, when the image information being handled is a character, the video RAM 3 and the video RAM 4 are selected according to the display mode other than color, such as the character to be displayed and its typeface / size / display position.
It is sufficient to write according to the presence or absence of a pixel as in the case of binary information.

For example, it is assumed that the image information as shown in FIG. 3A is read from the image information source 6. The color designated by the operator is the shaded portion 31. This image information is written in the video memory according to the logic of FIG.
In M3, the image information of the shaded area 31 is stored in the second video RAM 4
The image information of the other parts is (b).
It is stored as shown in (c). Of course, these are binary images.

The image information stored in the video RAM is displayed on the display device 2 as described above, which is performed as follows.

<Display of Image> FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the composition switching section 5. The composition switching unit 5 is the first video RAM.
Pixels at the same address are sequentially sent from the third video RAM 4 and the second video RAM 4 while incrementing the address, and data is selected or logically operated and then output.

In the figure, the switch 55 is connected to the terminal 55a.
Let's connect to the side. Reference numeral 51 is a gate control signal having a certain period irrelevant to the image information. When this signal is low (“0”), the output of the AND gate 52 becomes low, so that the exclusive OR gate 53 As the output, since the image information input from the second video RAM 4 is output as it is, only the image information of the same color as the color designation is not displayed, and the remaining part is displayed. If this is referred to in FIG. 3, (c) will be displayed.

When the gate control signal 51 is high ("1"), the output of the AND gate 52 is the information of the first video RAM 3. The image information is written in only one of the pixels at one location so that the original image (although it is a binary value) is created by combining the contents of the first video RAM 3 and the contents of the second video RAM 4. Therefore, there is no memory location where the pixel is “1” in both the first video RAM 3 and the second video RAM 4. Therefore, the output of the exclusive OR gate 53 becomes image information in which the images of the first video RAM 3 and the second video RAM 4 are superimposed. That is, when the gate control signal 51 is high, all the image information expressed in binary is output.

Therefore, if the gate control signal 51 repeatedly outputs low and high with a timer or the like at an appropriate cycle,
In accordance with the output value, the portion excluding the designated color and the entire image are alternately input to the monochrome display device 2, the designated color portion is repeatedly displayed and hidden, and the other image information is not displayed. It remains displayed. Thus, the operator can recognize the image information of the designated color.

On the other hand, when the switch 55 of the composition switching unit 5 is connected to the terminal 55b side, the output of the composition switching unit 5 becomes image information in which the contents of the video RAM 3 and the contents of the video RAM 4 are added, and a monochrome display device is provided. In 2 all information obtained from the color image information source 6 continues to be displayed in monochrome.

By using the above apparatus, the operator displays an image in which information of both the first video RAM 3 and the second video RAM 4 is combined on the monochrome display device 2 and is supplied from the color image information source 6. The contents of the color image information source 6 can be grasped by grasping the entire image of the image and then switching the switch 55 and repeating the image display in which only the partial image for which the color is designated is displayed specially by changing the designated color. ..

The image processing apparatus including the composition switching unit 5 may be provided by hardware such as an electric circuit, or may be realized by supplying a program. ..

[0024]

[Other Examples]

[Second Embodiment] When there are many types of colors, a list of colors used in the image information of the color image information source 6 is displayed, or another method is used so that the operator can use the images. If it is possible to know the existing color, it is possible to efficiently specify the color. For example, a method of specifying a color that displays a list of the colors and uses a cursor that has a pointing device as an input device and operates and moves the input device to select any item in the list is efficient. Is.

[Third Embodiment] The first embodiment is the first embodiment.
Consider an apparatus in which only the synthesis switching unit 5 of the image processing apparatus of the above embodiment is configured with different logic circuits.

FIG. 5 shows the composition switching section 5. Different from the first embodiment, the first video RAM 3 and the second video RAM
The switch 57 selects either the image in which the contents of 4 are combined or the image in the first video RAM 3. Each video RAM
The procedure for reading image information from the image information source 6 is described in the first embodiment.
Is the same as. Therefore, when the switch 57 is connected to the terminal 57b, an image in which the contents of the first video RAM 3 and the second video RAM 4 are combined is connected, and when the switch 57 is connected to the terminal 57a on the opposite side, the image of the designated color stored in the first video RAM 3 is stored. Only is displayed on the display device 2.

In this example, since there is no gate control signal 51, it is impossible to see both the entire image and the partial image of the designated color unless the switch 57 is switched, but the circuit of the composition switching section 5 is very simple. It can be anything.

[Fourth Embodiment] Using the same configuration as in FIG.
Procedure for reading image information into video RAM and composition switching unit 5
A fourth embodiment in which the logic of is changed will be described.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are flowcharts of the procedure for reading the image information from the image information source 6 into each of the first video RAM 3 and the second video RAM 4.

<Reading Procedure into Memory> First, the reading procedure into the first video RAM 3 will be described with reference to FIG. As in the first embodiment, the operator designates a color in advance. The specified color is RAM with the code corresponding to that color
8 is stored.

Before writing data, the first video RAM 3 is first cleared (S61). After that, the image information is read out from the information source 6 (S62). If the image information is read, the read data is checked for each reading (S63), and if there is no image information (for example, if a code "end of data" is read), the reading of the image information ends. If some image information is obtained, the color information of the image information is discarded and the binary data is written in the first video RAM 3 (S64). This is repeated until the data of the image information source 6 is completed.

The procedure of writing image information in the second video RAM 4 is as shown in FIG.

Before writing data, the first video RAM 3 is first cleared (S71). Then, the image information is read out from the information source 6 (S72). If the image information is read, the read data is checked for each reading (S73), and if there is no image information (for example, if a code "end of data" is read), the reading of the image information ends. If some kind of image information is obtained, it is tested whether or not the color is the same as that stored in the RAM 8 by the operator pre-designating each pixel of the information (S74). If the colors are the same, the color information is discarded and the binary image information is stored in the second video RAM 4. If the colors are different, discard the read image information,
The next image information is read (S74-NO). The above is repeated until the image information is completed.

The procedure shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 may be combined into a procedure as shown in FIG. FIG. 8 only shows that step S64 is inserted between steps S73 and S74 in the procedure of FIG.

By executing these procedures by the bus master 1, the entire read image is stored in the first video RAM 3 and the partial image of the designated color is stored in the second video RAM 4. FIG. 9 shows an example thereof. Assume that an image as shown in FIG. 9A is read from the image information source 6. The shaded portion 91 is the portion of the color that matches the color designated by the operator. FIG. 9B is an image formed in the first video RAM as a result of the above procedure, and is the image of FIG. 9A binarized. FIG. 9C shows an image formed in the second video RAM, and only the shaded portion 91 of the designated color is stored.

The image information thus stored in the video RAM is sent to the monochrome display device 2 via the composition switching section 5 and displayed. The logical configuration of the composition switching unit 5 is as shown in FIG.

<Display of Image> FIG. 10 shows a block diagram of the composition switching section 5. The synthesizing switching unit 5 has the first video R
Pixels at the same address are sent from the AM3 and the second video RAM 4 one after another while incrementing the address, and data is selected or logically operated and output.

In the figure, the switch 104 is connected to the terminal 10
It is assumed that it is connected to the 4a side. Reference numeral 101 is a gate control signal having a certain period irrelevant to the image information. When this signal is low (“0”), the output of the AND gate 102 is low, so that the exclusive OR gate 103 outputs As the output, the image information input from the first video RAM 3 is output as it is, so that the entire read image stored therein is displayed in monochrome. If this is referred to in FIG. 3, (b) will be displayed.

When the gate control signal 101 is high ("1"), the output of the AND gate 102 is the second video RAM.
4 information is output. Image information is the first video RAM 3
Since the contents of 1 are included in the contents of the second video RAM 4, the included common parts are all output as low signals from the exclusive OR gate 103. Therefore, the output of the exclusive OR gate 103 is the first video RA.
The image information is obtained by removing the image of the designated color, which is the content of the second video RAM 4, from the image information of M3.

As described above, when the gate control signal 101 repeatedly outputs low and high in an appropriate cycle, according to the output value, the image excluding the image of the designated color portion from the entire image and the entire image are obtained. Are alternately input to the monochrome display device 2, the designated color portion is repeatedly displayed and hidden, and the other image information remains displayed.
Thus, the operator can recognize the image information of the designated color.

On the other hand, when the switch 104 of the composition switching section 5 is connected to the terminal 104b side, the composition switching section 5
Is the content itself of the video RAM 3 and the image body obtained from the color image information source 6 continues to be displayed in monochrome on the monochrome display device 2.

By using the device described above, the operator displays the entire image on the monochrome display device 2 and grasps the entire image of the image supplied from the color image information source 6,
Further, the contents of the color image information source 6 can be grasped by switching the switch 55 and repeating the image display in which only the designated partial image is displayed specially by changing the designated color.

[Fifth Embodiment] An apparatus in which the logic of the combination switching unit 5 of the fourth embodiment is simplified will be described. The present embodiment is the same as the fourth embodiment except for the composition switching unit 5.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the composition switching section 5. Different from the fourth embodiment, the switch 112 selects either the image obtained by ANDing the image information of the first video RAM 3 and the image information of the second video RAM 4 or the image of the first video RAM 3. The procedure for reading the image information from the image information source 6 into each video RAM is the same as in the fourth embodiment. Therefore, when the switch 112 is connected to the terminal 112a, the entire image stored in the first video RAM 3 is
When connected to 12b, only the image of the designated color stored in the second video RAM 4 is displayed on the display device 2.

In this example, since there is no gate control signal, it is not possible to see both the entire image and the partial image of the designated color unless the switch 112 is switched, but the circuit of the composition switching section 5 is very simple. Can be something.

The contents of the video RAM 3 and the video RA
If it is guaranteed that the contents of M4 are the entire image and the image of the designated color, respectively, as described in the fourth embodiment, the synthesizing changeover unit 5 is replaced with a simple changeover switch as shown in FIG. In this case, the same result as when the configuration of FIG. 10 is used can be obtained.

Although the five embodiments have been described, it is sufficient that the image of the designated color can be distinguished from the entire image. Therefore, the entire image read in one video RAM is designated in the other video RAM. Even if the image excluding the colors is stored, the specified color portion can be identified from the entire image.

In all the embodiments described above, the color image information is displayed while recognizing the colors forming the image with a memory and a monochrome display device which are much smaller than the device for reproducing the color image. can do. Therefore, as a display device, a black and white CRT or L
Even if a monochrome display device such as a CD or a plasma display is used, a color image can be recognized by an operator and processed.

Furthermore, a small-capacity video RA can be used in a conventional word processor or binary information processing device that handles binary images.
By connecting M to an output device capable of outputting a color image, for example, a color printer, and implementing the procedure of writing image information into the video RAM and outputting to the display device as described in the embodiment, It becomes a system that can edit and output images.

The present invention may be applied to 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.

[0051]

As described above, the image processing apparatus of the present invention can express the color given to the color image information by using the small capacity video RAM and the monochrome display device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of image reading in the first and third embodiments.

FIG. 3 is an example of an image read into a video RAM.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a combination switching unit according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a combination switching unit according to a third embodiment.

[Figure 6]

[Figure 7]

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of image reading according to fourth and fifth embodiments.

FIG. 9 is an example of an image read into a video RAM.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a combination switching unit according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 11

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a combination switching unit according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 bus master, 2 monochrome display device, 3 first video RAM, 4 second video RAM, 5 composite switching unit, 6 color image information source.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An image supply means for supplying color image information, a specifying means for specifying a desired color, and image information of a color specified by the specifying means is discriminated from the color image information supplied by the supplying means. Discriminating means, binarizing means for binarizing the color image information supplied by the supplying means into binary image information, first storing means for storing the binary image information, and binary image information Image information binarized by the binarizing unit so that the image information of the color discriminated by the discriminating unit can be discriminated from each other. Distribution means for distributing to the second storage means, and display means for displaying the image information stored in the first storage means and the second storage means as one image. Image processing device. 2. The distributing means distributes the image information of the color portion discriminated by the discriminating means to the first storage means, and the image information other than the color portion discriminated by the discriminating means is divided into second image information. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is distributed to the storage means. 3. The distributing means distributes the image information of the portion of the color discriminated by the discriminating means to the first storage means, and the entire image information supplied by the supplying means is divided into the second image information.
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is distributed to the storage means. 4. The supply means performs a predetermined logical operation on the image information stored in the first storage means and the image information stored in the second storage means, and supplies the supply means. Creating means for creating the whole image information supplied by the above and the partial image information of the color specified by the specifying means, and a selection for selecting either the whole image information or the partial image information created by the creating means 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for displaying the image information selected by the selecting means. 5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the selection unit has a timer unit, and the selection unit is switched each time a predetermined time elapses. 6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for confirming a list of color information forming the color image information.