JPH06124334A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily specify an area of image processing by detecting a curve or the inside of a closed loop, formed at an end part of a line extending from a specific area, as the specified area. CONSTITUTION:The curve is drawn from an external specific area to a part to be specified as an area and the closed loop is drawn encircling the part to be specified as the area. A curve tracing part 2 traces the curve extending from the specific area after a curve detection part 1 confirms that its start point is in the specific area. Original image data are delayed by a delay circuit part 3a by the time required for the curve tracking and the curve part of the original image data is erased by a curve erasure part 4 while traced. Then an area extraction part 5 extracts the part between two lines as a process area after curve branching. Further, the original image data are delayed by a delay circuit part 3b by the time required for the process area extraction and a processing part 6 performs an image process set for only the work area.

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 applied to a digital copying machine, a digital scanner or the like and which designates an image area.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a digital copying machine or the like, since image information of a document is converted into a digital signal, image data is relatively easy to handle and various image processing and processing can be easily performed.

When performing image processing, an area is designated and processing is performed only within the area. As the method of designating the area, two methods, a mark area method and a digitizer board method, are mainly used. ing.

[0004]

The mark area method described above specifies a processing area by using a colored mark pen having a halftone density. However, the area detection accuracy is poor and the area is marked once. Since it cannot be erased, there was a problem that it was necessary to prepare a special document for processing the mark area.

In the digitizer board method, an original is placed on a dedicated digitizer board for position data detection, and a processing area is designated by a dedicated pen. The position on the digitizer and the position on the glass of the scanner are different from each other. The correspondence of
There is a problem that it is difficult for a general user to understand, an extra space is required for the digitizer board, and the cost of the entire apparatus is increased.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing device in which the area of image processing can be easily designated.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for capturing image information of an original as a digital signal, and means for tracing a curve starting from a specific area and connecting to the curve. And a means for detecting an area surrounded by the curved line or the closed loop, and a means for erasing an image signal related to the curved line or the closed loop.

Further, when there are a plurality of curves starting from the specific area, a means for setting a number for each curve according to a positional relationship in the specific area, and a means for setting the number of each curve in the area corresponding to the curve, respectively. It is characterized by comprising means for setting a number relating to the image processing mode for each area number, and means for performing image processing for each area according to the setting.

Further, in an image processing apparatus which takes in image information of an original as a digital signal, means for extracting a specific symbol, means for detecting a curved line or a closed loop connected to the specific symbol, and an area surrounded by the curved line or the closed loop are provided. It is characterized by comprising means for extracting and means for erasing the image signal relating to the specific symbol and the curve or the closed loop.

[0010]

According to the above means, the curve formed at the end of the line starting from the specific region or the inside of the closed loop is detected as the designated region. Therefore, a line is drawn from the specific region with a pencil or the like and the line is drawn. The area is specified by continuously drawing a line so as to surround the specified area.

Further, since each area of the plurality of designated areas is identified by a number, it is possible to set a different image processing mode for each area as a number based on the number. Mode setting becomes easy.

Further, since a curved line or a closed loop continuous to a specific symbol is detected as a designated region, a symbol is drawn in an arbitrary region, and a line is drawn so as to surround the designated region portion continuously with the symbol, thereby designating the region. Is done.

[0013]

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the first embodiment of the present invention. As for image data, as is well known, image information of an original is read as an analog signal by a scanner (not shown), and further, It is quantized and sampled by pattern recognition or the like, and is digitized and captured as a pixel of a two-dimensional array. In FIG. 1, 1 is a curve detection unit for detecting a curve in a specific region, and 2 is a curve detection unit. A curve tracing unit for tracing the detected curve, 3a and 3b are delay circuit units, 4 is a curve erasing unit, 5 is a region extracting unit for extracting a region surrounded by a line, and 6 is a set image processing within the region. It is a processing unit to be applied to.

When the first embodiment having the above-mentioned structure is used, as shown in FIG. 2A, first, as shown in FIG. A curve L is drawn from the specific area S _O to the B portion to be specified, and a closed loop N is drawn so as to surround the B portion. A curve M is drawn in the portion A, but since the end of the curve M is not in the specific area S _O , the area is not designated.

As for the curve L, as shown in FIG. 3, it is confirmed by the curve detection unit 1 that the starting point P is within the specific area S _O , and after this confirmation, the curve tracking unit 2 is operated in the sub-scanning direction. Curve trace to. After the line diverges in two directions at the point Q, it is divided into both sides and tracking is performed, and the tracking is continued until they join again.

An example of curve tracing will be described with reference to FIG. In this example, right and left reciprocal scanning is performed in the main scanning direction to trace a curve. In the case of rightward scanning (FIG. 4A), when a is a black pixel and any of b, c and d is a tracking curve, a is also a tracking curve. Further, in the case of leftward scanning (FIG. 4 (b)), either b or c is a tracking curve, and in the case of rightward scanning, either a or d is a tracking curve. Sometimes d is the tracking curve.

The original image data is delayed by the delay circuit portion 3a by the time required for the curve tracing, and the curved portion of the original image data is erased while being traced by the curve erasing portion 4. After the above curve branch (point Q), the area extracting unit 5 extracts the portion between the two lines as a processing area. Further, the delay circuit section 3b delays the original image data by the time taken to extract the processing area, and the processing section 6 performs the image processing processing set only for the processing area.

FIG. 2B shows an example of image output according to the instruction as shown in FIG. 2A, in which part B, which is the designated area, is subjected to the hollowing process. Further, even if a curve is drawn, the area A is not designated and the curve is not erased for the portion A, and is output as it is.

In the above embodiment, the case where the machining area is a closed loop has been described. However, as shown in FIG. 5, the downwardly open curve R becomes a curve L written from the specific area S _O. In the connected figure, between the two lines forming the curve R
The shaded area is the processing area.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the construction of the essential parts of the second embodiment of the present invention. Members corresponding to the constituent members of the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals. And detailed description is omitted. When the curve detection unit 1 detects that there are a plurality of curves in a specific area, the number registration unit 20 registers the numbers for each curve in the detection order based on the main scanning direction, and then the first embodiment. In the same way as in, the inside of the closed loop connected to each curve is extracted as the specified area,
The area extraction unit 5 outputs the area number corresponding to the registered curve number.

In the processing type register 21, as shown in Table 1, the image processing contents are set for each number.

[0023]

[Table 1]

Further, from the processing type register 21, the processing unit
A signal for selecting which machining unit among the first machining, the second machining, the third machining, ... Of 22 is activated is output, and the data synthesizing unit 23 performs the machining in the machining processing unit 22. The outputs from the units are combined and output. A delay circuit section 3c in the figure delays the original image data by the time required for selecting the processing type.

According to the second embodiment described above, as shown in FIG. 7A, the characters A, B, and D in the three designated areas on the same area surface are set as shown in FIG. As described above, it is possible to perform the filling processing on A, the removal processing on B, and the shadow adding processing on D.

Next, line tracing when the curve or the closed loop crosses a line on the original image will be described.

[0027] For example, as shown in FIG. 8 (a), respectively in the square, separated into four A, B, C, there are four letters and D, the curve L from above the specific area S _O 8 and connecting the curve L to the closed loop N around D by crossing the curve L vertically and horizontally with respect to the horizontal and vertical lines, respectively.
As shown in (b), when the image processing is performed only on D (the hollowing processing is shown in the figure), when the curve L crosses a horizontal line and a vertical line, a gap G of a predetermined amount is provided. To do. Figure 9
(a) and (b) show how the curve L crosses the horizontal and vertical lines of the document vertically and horizontally.

FIG. 10 (a) shows the pattern matching of the interruption of the vertical line, FIG. 10 (b) shows the pattern matching of the interruption of the horizontal line, and FIG. 11 shows an example of the contents of the register of the curve tracing unit 2. In the figure, the first bit is the direction (x / y) bit, the third to fourth bits are the extension counter section, and the lower four bits are currently being tracked as described in the second embodiment. The registration number of the curve is written. This 8-bit register has the number of bits for one line in the main scanning direction.

When vertical interruption is detected by the pattern matching shown in FIG. 10 (a), the direction bit is set to zero and the extension counter is set to 7 (in this embodiment, since the register is set to 8 bits, the extension counter is set to 3). I've limited it to bits, but in reality it's better to have more bits). The extension counter is counted down each time the line advances in the sub-scanning direction, and when the count value becomes zero and the place is black, tracing is continued from that place as a curve of the same registration number.

When a horizontal discontinuity is detected, the direction bit is set to "1", the countdown is performed in the main scanning direction, and the same tracing as above is performed.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the structure of the main part of the third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, the difference from the structure of the second embodiment of FIG. The point is that a mark pattern matching detection unit 30 is used instead of the above, and a mark number registration unit 31 is used instead of the number registration unit 20 that registers a number for each curve.

Mark pattern / matching detection unit 30
Then, as shown in FIGS. 13 (a) and 13 (b), it is possible to discriminate between the black circle portion Ma and the double circle mark Mb, and the mark number registration unit 31 The numbers are registered in, and in the subsequent processing, the image processing can be performed on the area for each number just as in the second embodiment.

Therefore, according to the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14 (a), for the characters A and B in the two designated areas on the same area surface, a black circle Ma and a double circle are used. By drawing a closed loop for designating the area with the mark Mb, it becomes possible to perform the filling processing in A and the shading processing in B, as shown in FIG. 14 (b). Therefore, the unmarked c is not subjected to the area designation processing.

Further, in the first and second embodiments, it is necessary to draw a line for determining the designated area from the particular area,
In the third embodiment, it is not necessary to draw a long line even when the specific area and the designated area are separated, so the workability is improved.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the structure of the essential parts of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
By enclosing the designated area 36 with a pencil in the original 35 printed or made with ink as shown in 16 (a),
As shown in FIG. 16 (b), image processing (indicated by hollowing processing in the figure) can be performed only on the designated area.

The processing for the pencil writing line will be described. The pencil writing portion has many white and black isolated points, and when the image data of the pencil writing line is binarized at an appropriate level by the binarization processing unit 40, an image as shown in FIG. 17 (a) is obtained. The figure shows that the isolated point extraction unit 41 extracts white and black isolated points from this image.
17 (b), and if the extraction point is thickened by the diameter expansion processing unit 42 with a constant diameter, a line is formed again as shown in FIG. 17 (c). After the curve processing described with reference to FIG. 1 is applied to the reconstructed line as in the first embodiment, image processing is performed on the designated area.

[0037]

As described above, according to the configuration of the first aspect, the image processing apparatus of the present invention can detect only the curve designated by the curve drawn from the specific area or the inside of the closed loop as the area. Therefore, it is not necessary to use a marker of a special color, and the area can be specified by writing with a pencil, and the area can be easily specified.

According to the second aspect of the invention, since a plurality of areas can be identified as numbers, different image processing can be designated for each area, and various image processing settings can be made for each area. Easy to do.

Further, according to the configuration of claim 3, only the designated curve or the closed loop can be detected as the region by writing the specific symbol, so that the region is designated from the specific region as compared with the configuration of claim 1. This eliminates the need to draw a long curve, making it easier to specify.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part in a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of area designation according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of curve tracking.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of reciprocal scanning.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of tracking for a curve that opens downward.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part in a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of area designation according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for designating an area across a line.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged crossing state of a line.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing line break pattern matching.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of contents of registers of a curve tracking unit.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part in a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a specific symbol.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of area designation according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part in a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of area designation according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of a process for a pencil writing line.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Curve detection unit, 2 ... Curve tracking unit, 3a, 3b, 3c
... delay circuit section, 4 ... curve erasing section, 5 ... area extracting section,
6 ... Processing unit, 20 ... Number registration unit, 21 ... Processing type register unit, 22 ... Processing unit, 23 ... Data synthesizing unit,
30 ... Mark pattern / matching detection unit, 31 ... Mark number registration unit, 40 ... Binarization processing unit, 41 ... Isolated point extraction unit, 42 ... Expansion processing unit, S _O ... Specific region, L ... Curve, N ... Closed loop.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical indication H04N 1/387 4226-5C

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image processing apparatus for capturing image information of a document as a digital signal, means for tracing a curve starting from a specific area, means for detecting a curve or a closed loop connected to the curve, and an area surrounded by the curve or the closed loop. An image processing apparatus comprising: means for extracting a region to be stored; and means for erasing the image signal related to the curve or the closed loop. 2. When there are a plurality of curves starting from the specific area, a means for setting a number for each curve according to a positional relationship in the specific area, and a means for setting the number of each curve in the area corresponding to the curve, respectively. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a unit that sets a number relating to the image processing mode for each region number; and a unit that performs image processing for each region according to the setting. 3. An image processing apparatus for capturing image information of an original as a digital signal, means for extracting a specific symbol, means for detecting a curved line or a closed loop connected to the specific symbol, and an area surrounded by the curved line or the closed loop. An image processing apparatus, comprising: a means for extracting the image signal; and a means for erasing the image signal relating to the specific symbol and the curve or the closed loop.