JPH0696183A - Method and device for image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce time and labor for the addition of debug and recompilation by providing a high-order library using an X rib that is a library for display in the storage part of a work station, and switching the output content of the higher-order library basing on an external variable. CONSTITUTION:The hard disk 304 of the work station consists of an X server 320 of server client system and a client 330, and the client 330 is equipped with an X rib 331, the higher-order library 332, and an application 333. The higher-order library 332 is provided with a debug text which displays a time required for the execution of the library for display and a debug text which displays the content of a parameter used in the library for display. The debug text is outputted by switching by the value of the external variable, and the external variable is given as a static area managing the external variable, a file outside a program, or a start-up parameter. Thereby, debugging work can be efficiently performed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing system in which a character image and an image of a layout mount (a block mount, a rough designation paper, etc.) are read, laid out, and then output. The present invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus capable of outputting required information to a display device, a file and a printer by providing an upper library using X-rib as a display library and changing external variables.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an image processing system for a printing company requiring high quality, there is no system for comprehensively integrating and editing images such as characters and pictures, or even if it exists, it has low capability and is practically used. It was not the target. In particular, the desktop publishing field is becoming possible by the page description language such as Postscript, but
Performance is low. There are systems for printers, but they are not enough to handle large amounts of data at high speed. The reason for this is that there is too much data to be processed in order to support processing by a descriptive language for collectively processing characters and images, and processing by a CPU (software), resulting in lack of performance. is there.
To output only the code data in order to create a block for printing, it is necessary to convert each character to a bit map and also to expand it into a bit map every few rasters in advance. Stores all or part of the output image in a temporary buffer and sends it to the output device. In order to reduce the memory capacity of the buffer, the output device is stored in the buffer of the output image. It is supposed to wait.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned device, characters and pictures cannot be laid out and output at the same time, and even if the character bitmap is laid out in advance on the buffer for outputting the bitmap, It has a drawback that it takes a lot of time to realize it. Alternatively, characters and pictures are output on different papers or films, and the operator cuts and pastes them on the papers or films. For this reason, a lot of repetitive work such as exposure and printing takes a lot of time, and intermediately generated photosensitive materials are wasted.

Further, in order to obtain the performance / debugging information of the display library in the workstation, conventionally, it has been realized by embedding a debug statement according to the purpose. However, with this method, it took much time to embed, check, and compile debug statements, resulting in poor work efficiency.

The present invention has been made under the circumstances described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a workstation in an image processing system for electronically interactively editing a large amount of character and picture image data at high speed. An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing method and apparatus capable of outputting necessary information to a printer or the like only by changing an external variable by providing a higher-level library using X-rib as a display library in the storage unit.

[0006]

A method of the present invention relates to an image processing method in a workstation having a storage section for editing image data read by an input device using an input operation means and a display means. The above object of the present invention is achieved by outputting the execution time of the display library and the parameters to be used by the upper library of the display library and switching the output contents of the upper library based on an external variable. It An apparatus of the present invention includes an input controller that stores image data read by an input device, a workstation having a storage unit that edits the screen of the image data using an input operation unit and a display unit, the input controller and the work unit. A file server connected to the station for storing the image data and the edit data screen-edited by the workstation as a file in the storage means; and the edit data stored in the storage means for reading out to the image output device. It relates to an image processing device equipped with an image setter adapted to output an image,
The above object of the present invention is achieved by providing an upper library for outputting the execution time of the display library and the parameters to be used in the storage unit, and providing a function of switching the output contents of the upper library based on an external variable. It

[0007]

The image processing system of the present invention comprises an input controller, a file server, a workstation having an image setter and a storage unit, each of which is equipped with an independent CPU (microprocessor, microcomputer, etc.). In addition, each part can be operated independently and in parallel, and high-speed and efficient image processing can be realized, and the memory capacity can be maximized by interactively editing the information of the layout mount and the pictures and characters. By making it smaller, it is possible to obtain a higher quality image as a hard copy or a printing plate for printing than an image output device. Moreover, according to the present invention, in the workstation, the execution time of the display library and the output of the parameters to be used are output to the upper library in the workstation storage unit.
The output contents of the upper library are switched by switching the external variables. As a result, the necessary information can be output on a printer or the like simply by changing the external variables, and the trouble of adding debug statements and recompiling can be omitted.

[0008]

1 to 3 are block diagrams showing an image processing system which is a premise of the present invention.
Further, the density data DD of an image obtained by reading an original such as a layout mount with the input device 1 such as a scanner is input to the input controller 100, and the input controller 100 screens the input density data DD via the built-in CPU 101. The dot conversion circuit 102 converts the data into halftone dots, the compression circuit 103 compresses the data, and the buffer 104 temporarily stores the data.
It is transferred via the SI bus and stored in the magnetic tape 210 or the hard disks 220, 221, ... Of the file server 200. The input controller 100 has a local disk (hard disk) 105 for temporarily storing data. The file system file server 200 is C
It has a PU 201 and is connected to other devices via interfaces 202 to 205. Further, the code information CD such as characters obtained by the edit input device 2 such as a word processor or a typesetting machine is once stored in the floppy disk 3 and then read out and input to the workstation 300. The workstation 300 is a CRT 30 as a display means.
1, a keyboard 302 as an input operation means, a mouse 306 and a digitizer 303, and a plurality of terminal devices having a hard disk 304 and a floppy disk 305 as a storage means. File server 2
00 is mutually connected. Input controller 100
The image data thinned out for CRT display, frame data and image data for contour display obtained in
Alternatively, it is stored in the hard disks 220, 221, ... Together with the non-thinned high density data for image output, and the thinned data is read out via the SCSI bus and transferred to the workstation 300 via the interfaces 204 and 202. A control command or the like with the input controller 100 is transferred via the interface 200 of the file server 200 via the auxiliary data line 4, and the image server 400 is further connected to the file server 200. CPU 401 for the imagesetter 400
Are connected to the auxiliary data line 5 of the file server 200 via the interface 402 and to the SCSI bus via the interface 403. The image setter 400 is further a sequencer 410.
Further, the image setter 400 has a buffer 411 for storing necessary data, and the image setter 400 is connected with a high image quality output machine 10 for outputting a high quality image and a laser beam printer 11 for outputting an image of a relatively low image quality. . The hard disks 220, 221, ... Store fixed data (bitmap data) such as logos, emblems, and nets, and vector font data for character output in advance.

In the input device 1, a pattern (halftone image), a line drawing, and a character image (binary image) are digitized by density data (8 bits / pixel). The signal input at 8 bits / pixel is converted into a dot pattern by the input controller 100,
Information of 4 bits / pixel is generated. The binary image is converted into 1-bit / pixel information. Further, although characters are input as codes from the workstation 300, they may be input as images from the input device 1. Therefore, when input as an image, even a character is treated as an image (bitmap data). Although all images are output by the imagesetter 400, the code set and vector information are all converted to bitmap data in the imagesetter 400. Therefore, use image output to mean that bitmap data is output. become.

The details of the input controller 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The input controller 100 converts the density data DD input from the input device 1 into high density data for the high image quality output machine 10 and a laser beam printer. 11
For CRT3 on workstation 300
Two sets of data for displaying 01 and five sets of rough image data enough to show the contour are simultaneously generated. Overall speed can be realized by performing parallel processing at the same time.
This is because the data generation calculation load of 101 can be reduced.
That is, the high-density data for the high-quality image output device 10 is converted into a halftone dot by the halftone dot conversion circuit 1021, compressed by the compression circuit 1031, and the compressed data is temporarily stored in the buffer 1041. Further, as data for outputting an image by the laser beam printer 11 having a relatively low image quality, the density data DD is thinned out at a predetermined interval (for example, 1/3) (110), and the rough data is halftone-dotted by a halftone dot dot circuit 1022. And compresses them in the compression circuit 1032, and then the buffers 1042
Temporarily stored in. Further, two types of coarser data to be displayed on the CRT 301 are thinned by the halftone dot conversion circuits 1023 and 1024 after thinning out the density data DD at a predetermined interval, and the buffers 1043 and 1044 are respectively added.
In the case of a line drawing in which a clipping mask is created from a halftone image, the image data after the Laplacian processing or the unsharp mask processing showing the contour data is thinned out (113), and then the binarization circuit. 102
It is adapted to be binarized by 5 and temporarily stored in the buffer 1045.

In such a configuration, the CPU 101 communicates with the input device 1 via a data line (not shown), and also the auxiliary data line 4 and the dual port RA.
It communicates with the file server 200 via M (not shown). Then, when there is a data transmission request from the input device 1, the CPU 101 sets necessary data in each circuit shown in FIG. 4, stores the setting data in the local disk 105, and further sets the setting values related to the sub-scanning. set. The density data DD from the input device 1 is input line by line, and the circuits shown in FIG.
It is stored in (1041 to 1045). CPU1 during this time
01 checks the SCSI bus switching, the data compression output buffer 1041 switching, and the presence or absence of error information from various circuits. The data once stored in the buffer 104 and the local disk 105 is sorted by a command from the CPU 101 and output to an external SCSI bus.

The configuration of the file server 200 that constitutes the file system is as shown in FIG. 2. This file server 200 has common file management functions such as file management and file sharing, and communication for network communication and unit communication. It has a control function. That is, the file server 200 is connected to the hard disk (220, 221, ...) And the magnetic tape 2 via the SCSI bus.
10 file management, having a software interface function with the workstation 300 via ETHERNET, and further providing file management information service to the input controller 100 and the imagesetter 400 and a file management utility via the SCSI bus. Perform the function. For example, font registration and garbage collection of SCSI disk (dust removal processing). There are two types of font registration here. One is registration of fonts possessed by the system. This registration stores vector fonts created by another font creation system in the form of magnetic tape in the hard disk of the image processing system. The other is the registration of external character fonts. Gaiji font is a character that does not exist in the system.
In this case, the font created in another system is registered in this system from a floppy disk or magnetic tape.

The file server 200 stores services and data for transferring data between the workstation 300, the input controller 100 and the imagesetter 400, and the input controller 100 stores the auxiliary data line 4 and the dual port RAM. Then, necessary information is obtained from the file server 200 for securing and deleting areas of various files. Input controller 100
To register the data once stored in the internal buffer 104 as a file of the image processing system, information such as the file name and the file capacity is transferred to the file server 200, and S
Access the hard disks 220, 221, ... On the CSI bus. As a result, the file server 200 manages directory communication and disk area management. Further, the file server 200 transfers file data to the workstation 300 via ETHERNET,
Receive data from workstations. At this time, in accordance with the instruction from the workstation 300, the file server 200 causes the hard disk (2
20, ...) and the magnetic tape 210, and updates necessary information such as directories. Also, imagesetter 4
The command for 00 and the command for the magnetic tape 210 are obtained, and the service is performed according to the command. Further, a predetermined command is sent to the imagesetter 400 via the auxiliary data line 5 and the dual port RAM, file management information is sent in response to a request from the imagesetter 400, and disk data on the SCSI bus is sent. As a result, the imagesetter 400 is directly accessed. Furthermore, utility information related to the entire image processing system is managed by the hard disks 220, 221, ... on the SCSI bus, and font information,
Common files on the system correspond to such information.

Next, the operation of the workstation 300 will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 5. The document data edited by the edit input device 2 and stored is read from the floppy disk 3 (step S310).
The code information CD of the document data is converted in data format (step S311). And CRT
One page of document contents is displayed on 301 (step S3
12) The image data output position of the image read from the layout mount or the like is designated by the mouse 306, the keyboard 302, and the digitizer 303 (step S313), and page description data for each page is created together with the frame of the layout mount (step S314). ). Such data creation is performed for all pages (step S315), and then an imposition instruction for creating a printing block is issued using the keyboard 302 (step S316) to create impositioned page description data (step S317). ). Then, the file server 20
The created data is transferred to 0 (step S318).
The image setter 400 is instructed to output an image, and the operation ends (step S319).

Next, with reference to FIG. 6, an operation example at the time of imposition will be described. The workstation 300 reads the image data thinned out from the hard disks 220, 221, ... Of the file server 200 (step S33).
0), read the document data from the floppy disk 3 (step S331), C of the workstation 300
Display necessary information on RT301 and mouse 30
6, the keyboard 302 and the digitizer 303 are operated to lay out images, documents and frames page by page (step S332). Then, the type of imposition registered in advance is designated by the keyboard 302 (step S33).
3) Each page is laid out and displayed on the CRT 301 together with the number of pages in the instructed imposition state (for example, A to D in the figure) (step S334). Here, the imposition registration is stored with the number of pages attached in advance in consideration of folding at the time of bookbinding of a plurality of pages, for example, 4 pages of A4 version or 8 pages of A5 version. 6A to 6D, the imposition state is determined by the number of pages (“1”, “8”, “5” in B,
It is displayed together with "4". As described above, the contents such as images and characters are not displayed, and the image setter 400 generates and outputs a bitmap according to the page description data (step S335).

FIG. 7 shows an example of the configuration of the imagesetter 400. The sequencer 410 is connected to a CPU bus 412 and an image data bus 413, and is also connected to a logical operation circuit 420 and a first memory 421. Further, the main memory 430 for the CPU 401 is connected to the CPU bus 412, the common memory 424 is connected between the common memory 424 and the image data bus 413, and the interface 4
The outputs of 02 and 403 are input to the CPU bus 412. CPU bus 412 and image data bus 413
A buffer 433, a decompressor 440, and a third memory 423 are connected between the two, and a buffer 434, a raster image converter 431, and a second memory 422 are connected.
The buffer 435 and the output control circuit 436 are connected. The CPU bus 412 has a vector font memory 43.
2 is connected to the output control circuit 436 and the output buffer 4
The high image quality output device 10 and the laser beam printer 11 are connected via 36A. Vector font memory 4
In 32, a vector font required for generating a character bitmap by the raster image converter 431 is stored. Usually vector font is disk (22
0,221, ...), but it is inefficient to read the vector font via the SCSI bus every time the character bitmap is generated, so all the necessary vector fonts are stored in the vector font memory 432 in advance. By reading it in, the speed of character bitmap generation is improved.

In such a structure, the operation is as shown in FIG.
First, an output instruction request is output from the file server 200 to the imagesetter 400 via the auxiliary data line 5 using the file name in the hard disks 220, 221, ... As a parameter. Specifications to be output from that file are written in that file. The specifications are sequentially decoded, code data and compressed data are subjected to address calculation for each unit image, and overlay processing by logical operation is repeated for that address, The processing result is stored in the first memory 421. The imagesetter 400 calls the parameter file via the SCSI bus and repeats this operation. For example, for code data, character code and instruction information such as position, typeface, size, etc. are input via the SCSI interface 403 (step S400), and converted into a raster image by the raster image converter 431 via the buffer 434 (step S401). ), The raster image data is stored in the second memory 422 (step S402). The image data that has been compressed is input via the interface 403 via the SCSI bus (step S403), decompressed by the decompressor 440 via the buffer 433 and restored (step S40).
4) The restored image data is stored in the third memory 423 (step S405). Further, bitmap data such as logos stored in the hard disks 220, 221, ... Is input via the interface 403 (step S406) and stored in the common memory 424 (step S407). The data stored in the second memory 422 to the common memory 424 are all bitmap data, and these stored data are logically operated by the logical operation circuit 420 via the CPU 401 (step S410).
Data that has been logically operated to synthesize, edit, or image-process a picture, a document, or the like is stored in the first memory 421 (step S411). After the data is stored in the first memory 421, it is judged whether or not it is finished, that is, whether there is no correction or addition (step S412), and the above operation is continued until the logical operation such as correction is finished. The logical operation circuit 420 performs logical operations such as sum, product, difference and exclusive OR of bit map data generated from code data such as characters, bit map data obtained by expanding compressed image data, and bit map data. In collaboration with
The image information to be output to the high image quality output device 10 or the laser beam printer 11 is generated.

In the above-mentioned image processing system, the performance of the display library in the workstation 300
In order to obtain debug information, it was necessary to embed debug statements according to the purpose. However, this method is troublesome and the work efficiency is poor. Therefore, in the present invention, by providing the function of the debug statement in advance, the debug work can be efficiently performed. That is, in the present invention, a higher-level library including a display library is created in the hard disk 304 of the workstation 300, and this higher-level library displays a debug statement for displaying the time taken to execute the display library and a display library. It has debug statements that display the contents of the parameters used by the library. Each of the above debug statements is output by being switched according to the value of the external variable, and the external variable is a static (static) that manages the external variable.
It is given as an area, a file outside the program, or as a startup parameter.

FIG. 9 shows the configuration blocks of the present invention. A hard disk 304 as a storage unit is composed of an X server 320 and a client 330 of a server client system, and the X server 320 is a DDX (Device).
Depend X) 321 and DIX (Device)
It is made of Independent X) 322. Also,
Client 330 is X-rib 331, upper library 3
32 and an application 333, the upper library 322 provided by the present invention executes the operation as shown in FIG. That is, first, an external variable is received (step S1), and processing # 1 (step S2) to #N.
During the execution of (step S3), the upper library 332 operates the display library (step S10).
The details of this operation are shown in FIG. 11, and first, an external variable is received (step S11). The external variable is a set of output on / off flags of processing time, parameter, and library module name. Next, it is determined whether the module name flag is on (step S1
2) If it is ON, START is added to the module name and print output is performed (step S13). If the module name flag is off, or if the parameter flag is on after the above-mentioned print output (step S14), it is output to the display device, file and printer (step S15). ). When the parameter flag is off or after the output, the processing time flag is further turned on (step S16), and when it is on, the start time t1 is received (step S17) and then displayed. Processing is performed (step S18). Next, it is determined whether or not the processing time flag is on (step S20), and if it is on, the end time t2 is received (step S21), and the difference between the start time t1 and the end time t2 (t2-). t1) is calculated and output to a printer or the like (step S22). After that, or when the processing time flag is off in step S20, it is determined again whether or not the module name flag is on (step S2).
3) Then, END is added to the module name and output to a printer or the like (step S24), and the operation ends.

FIG. 12 shows the relationship between the upper library and the display library (Xlib). The upper library is flagged as an external variable input, and CR is set.
Output to T, file and punter. When the workstation host program displays, it calls the host library and outputs the parameter and time information. Further, the upper library calls the display library, and the workstation upper program does not directly call the display library.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to edit a large amount of character and picture image data at high speed and output a high-quality printing image with a layout-designated appearance. For image display in a storage unit of a workstation in an image processing system that can easily perform bitmapping of vector information by hardware and can perform image processing, processing, and editing, and can layout and output characters and pictures An upper library using X-ribs is provided as a library. Therefore, it is possible to output necessary information to a display device such as a CRT, a file, and a printer simply by changing the external variable (recompiling only the module that defines the external variable or giving it from outside the program). You can save the trouble of adding debug statements and recompiling.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram (workstation, input controller) showing a configuration example of an image processing system.

FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram (file server) showing an example configuration of an image processing system.

FIG. 3 is a block configuration diagram (image setter) showing a configuration example of an image processing system.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an input controller.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation example of a workstation.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an imposition operation.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of an imagesetter.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the display library according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a relationship between an upper library and a display library.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Input Device 2 Editing Input Device 3 Floppy Disk 10 High Quality Output Device 100 Input Controller 200 File Server 300 Workstation 301 CRT 302 Keyboard 303 Digitizer 306 Mouse 400 Imagesetter 101 CPU 201 CPU 401 CPU

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] October 21, 1992

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0001

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing system in which a character image and an image of a layout mount (a block mount, a rough designation paper, etc.) are read, laid out, and then output. The present invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus capable of outputting necessary information to a display device, a file, and a printer by providing an upper library using X lib as a display library and changing the external variables.

[Procedure Amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] 0005

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

The present invention has been made under the circumstances described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a workstation in an image processing system for electronically interactively editing a large amount of character and picture image data at high speed. An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing method and apparatus capable of outputting necessary information to a printer or the like only by changing an external variable by providing a higher-level library using a display library, X lib , in the storage unit.

[Procedure 3]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Correction target item name] Figure 9

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 9]

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image processing method in a workstation having a storage unit for editing the screen of image data read by an input device by using an input operation unit and a display unit, the execution time of a display library and a parameter to be used. The image processing method is characterized in that the upper level library of the display library performs the output, and the output content of the upper level library is switched based on an external variable. 2. An input controller that stores image data read by an input device, a workstation that edits the screen of the image data using an input operation unit and a display unit, and has a storage unit, the input controller and the work. A file server connected to the station for storing the image data and the edit data screen-edited by the workstation as a file in the storage means; and the edit data stored in the storage means for reading out to the image output device. In an image processing device equipped with an image setter that outputs an image, an upper library that outputs the execution time of the display library and the parameters to be used is provided in the storage unit, and the output contents of the upper library are output based on external variables. Image processing characterized by a switching function apparatus.