JPH07134778A - Color image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To add the missing shade for the color image in a short processing time with inexpensive constitution. CONSTITUTION:The RGB data are binarized to generate the stereoscopic shade data of shades R, G, and B in equal size to each original picture by means of stereoscopic shading parts 11R, 11G and 11B. And a single color missing shading part 15 generates the single color missing shade data which is reduced as it is separated from the original image. The AND gates 13R, 13G, and 13B mask the stereoscopic shade data of the RGB by the missing shade data and generate respective missing reflection data of the RGB.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a color image processing apparatus for adding a vanishing shadow to a color image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, when a shadow is added to an image, a solid shadow adding process for adding a shadow having the same size to the original image, that is, a solid shadow, and a so-called vanishing shadow for decreasing the distance from the original image are added. Although the disappearance shadow addition processing is known, the latter disappearance shadow addition processing is realized by software in the conventional method.

[0003]

By the way, since the conventional disappearance shadow addition processing method is realized by software as described above, all the image data must be stored in the memory in order to perform the processing in this method. In particular, a large amount of memory is required to add a vanishing shadow to a multi-valued color image, which makes the device expensive and
There is a problem that the processing time becomes long.

In view of the above conventional problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a color image processing apparatus capable of adding a vanishing shadow to a color image with an inexpensive structure and a short processing time.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a first means is a binarizing means for binarizing each color component data of a color image, and a binarizing means by the binarizing means. A plurality of three-dimensional shadow generating means for generating three-dimensional shadow areas of each color component having the same size with respect to the original image based on each color component data, and the color of the image from each color component data binarized by the binarizing means. A ground area is extracted, and a disappearance shadow generation unit that generates a single-color disappearance shadow area that becomes smaller as it goes away from the color background area, and a three-dimensional shadow area of each color component generated by the plurality of three-dimensional shadow generation means are used as the disappearance shadows. A plurality of mask means for masking the disappearance shadow areas generated by the generating means to generate disappearance shadow areas for each color component; and a combining means for combining the disappearance shadow areas for each color component generated by the plurality of mask means. Equipment Characterized in that was.

The second means determines whether or not the disappearance shadow data of the color component has been generated by the binarization means for binarizing each color component data of the color image and another disappearance shadow generation means. , If not generated, based on each color component data binarized by the binarizing means, generate an erasure shadow area of the color that becomes smaller as it goes away from the area of the color component, and another erasure shadow generation means When the disappearance shadow data of the color component is generated by, the plurality of disappearance shadow generation means that does not generate the disappearance shadow area of the color component, and the disappearance shadow areas of each color component generated by the plurality of disappearance shadow generators And a synthesizing means for synthesizing.

The third means is characterized in that the rate at which the vanishing shadow area becomes smaller can be selected in the first or second means.

A fourth means is characterized in that, in the first or second means, the plurality of vanishing shadow generating means generate vanishing shadow data by a line memory.

[0009]

In the first means, the solid shadow area of each color component is masked by the disappearance shadow area to generate the disappearance shadow area of each color component. Therefore, the disappearance shadow for a color image can be produced with an inexpensive structure and a short processing time. Can be added.

In the second means, when the disappearance shadow data of the color component is not generated by the other disappearance shadow generating means, the disappearance shadow area of the color is generated, and the other disappearance shadow generating means generates the disappearance shadow area of the color component. When the disappearance shadow data is generated, the disappearance shadow area of the color component is not generated, and the disappearance shadow areas of the respective color components are combined, so that the memory is efficiently used and the color is formed with an inexpensive configuration and a short processing time. Vanishing shadows can be added to an image.

In the third means, the rate of reduction of the vanishing shadow area can be selected, so that the vanishing shadow desired by the user can be generated.

In the fourth means, since the disappearance shadow data is generated by the line memory, it can be constructed at a lower cost than the case where a memory such as a page memory is used.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a color image processing apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the line memory of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 to 5 are respectively three-dimensional shading units of RGB of FIG. 6 in detail, FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing in detail the monochromatic vanishing shadowing unit of FIG. 1, FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing vanishing shadow data generated by the vanishing shadowing unit of FIG. 6, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing in detail each of the RGB coloring parts in FIG. 1, FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the original color image, and FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing color disappearance shadows with respect to the original color image of FIG.

The outline of the circuit shown in FIG.
The 8-bit data of G and B are both converted into binary data R, G and B by a certain threshold value by the binarization unit 10, and the coloring units 16R, 16G of R, G and B,
16B is applied to 16B to add vanishing shadows of R, G and B, respectively.

Binary data R, G and B are shown in FIG.
5 is applied to the R, G, and B stereoscopic shadowing units 11R, 11G, and 11B as shown in detail in FIG. 5, and the solid shadowing units 11R, 11G, and 11B are respectively line memories 12R and R using 12G, 12B,
G and B solid shadow signals MASK2R, MASK2G, M
ASK2B is generated, and AND gates 13R and 1 are provided, respectively.
Output to 3G and 13B.

Each binary data of R, G and B is also NAND.
Input to the gate 14, the NAND gate 4 outputs binary data of low when it is a white background and high when it is a color background to a monochromatic disappearance shadowing unit 15 as shown in detail in FIG. The vanishing shadow adding unit 15 generates a monochromatic vanishing shadow and outputs it to the AND gates 13R, 13G, and 13B when it is a color background.
From the D gates 13R, 13G, 13B, R,
G and B disappearance shadow data MASK2R ', MASK2
G'and MASK2B 'are output.

Line memory 12 (12R, 12G, 12
As shown in FIG. 2, B) is composed of, for example, a 5048 word × 8 bit FIFO memory, and a pixel clock C
Based on LK and the main scanning synchronization signal, the color data for one line is put into the three-dimensional shadowing units 11R, 11G, and 11B of each color in advance and input / output in advance.

FIGS. 3 to 5 respectively show the solid shadow-imparting portions 11R, 11G and 11B of the respective colors. Shadow width register 1
00, shadow width data is set by a CPU (not shown) and applied to the shadow selector 300, and all-zero data is applied from the all-zero data register 200 to the shadow selector 300.

Further, the color data of the previous line read from the line memory 12 is applied to the decrement calculator 201 and the decrement data is applied to the shadow selector 300, and the shadow selector 300 receives these three types of input data. Selection is made based on the selection signals S1 and S2. The data selected by the shadow selector 300 is the delay register 2
After being delayed by one clock by 03, it is applied to the line memory 12.

The RGB binarized data are respectively inverted by the inversion circuits 23R, 23G and 23G, and when the binarized data R, G and B are low, the solid shadowing unit 11 is formed.
A high signal MASK1R at R, 11G and 11B,
MASK1G and MASK1B are the control terminal S2 of the shadow selector 300 and the coloring units 16R, 16G and 16 of the respective colors in the subsequent stages.
Output to B.

Further, the data inverted by the inversion circuits 23R, 23G, 23G are both input to the NOR gate 22, and the output of the NOR gate 22 becomes high when all the binary data of RGB are high. The output signals of the NOR gate 22 are both applied to the AND gates 20 and 21.

The R data one line before read from the line memory 12 is also transferred to the A data via the shadow detection comparator 202.
Applied to the ND gate 21, the three-dimensional shadowing units 11R and 11R
The outputs of the AND gate 21 in G and 11B are output as signals MASK2R, MASK2G, and MASK2B, respectively.

Next, the operation will be described by taking the R image processing unit 11R shown in FIG. 3 as an example. First, when the binarized data R is low, the output signal MASK1R of the inverting circuit 23R becomes high, the input signal of the control terminal S1 of the shadow selector 300 becomes low, and the input signal of the control terminal S2 becomes high. The shadow selector 300 selects the shadow width data set in the shadow width register 100 by this selection signal, and the shadow width data is delayed by one clock by the delay register 203 and input to the line memory 2R. Since this data will be output from the line memory 12R later,
Data that is offset by 45 degrees to the right and one line down is obtained. In this case, the signal MAS
K2R goes low.

When the binarized data R, G, B are all high and the R data from the line memory 12R is other than "0", the shadow selector 300 operates as the decrement subtractor 20.
The data obtained by subtracting one by 1 is selected. When the binarized data R, G, B are all high and the R data from the line memory 12R is "0", the shadow selector 300 selects the data in the all-zero data register 200.

In this case, when the R data from the line memory 12R is other than "0", the output signal of the shadow detection comparator 202 is high, the output signal of the NOR circuit 22 is high, and the output signal of the AND gate 21 is high. MASK2R goes high. On the other hand, when the R data from the line memory 12R is "0", the output signal MASK of the inverting circuit 23R is output.
1R is low, output signal MASK2R of AND gate 21
Becomes low.

When the binarized data R, G, B are other than the above two cases, color components other than R exist, so the line memory 12R has an all-zero data register 200.
0 data is output, and the signal MA in this case is output.
SK1R goes low and MASK2R goes low. Similarly, the G solid shading unit 1G shown in FIG. 4 and the B solid shading unit 1B shown in FIG. 5 perform processing on color components G and B, respectively.

Next, the disappearance shadow casting unit 15 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. As described above, the binary data input to the circuit 15 is low for a white background and high for a color background, and is used as a selection signal for the selector 302. Shadow length data is set in advance in the register 306, and the data in this register 306 is selected by the selector 302 in the case of color background, stored in the line memory 303 as shown in FIG. 2, and delayed by one line. .

The data read from the line memory 303 is delayed by one pixel by the register 307 and then applied to the B terminal of the adder 305 and the OR gate 314. O
The R gate 314 logically sums the 8-bit data from the register 307, and therefore outputs a signal of "1" to the AND gate 311 and the line memory 304 except when all 8 bits are "0".

The line memory 304 has the OR gate 3 similarly.
AND gate 31 after delaying the signal from 14 by one line
1, and the AND gate 311 outputs to the line memory 304.
AND the logical product signal of each output signal of the OR gate 314
Output to the gate 312 and the register 308. Register 3
08 delays the output signal of the AND gate 311 by one pixel and outputs it to the AND gate 312, and the AND gate 312 outputs the logical product signal of the output signals of the OR gate 314 and the register 308 to the AND gates 309 and 310.

On the other hand, the A terminal of the adder 305 has all 1s.
Data is input to the selector 301 via the Σ terminal, and a carry signal is input to the AND gate from the adder 305 via the Σ terminal. Output to 310. Where Σ
The logical sum output of the terminals is a value obtained by subtracting "1" from the input value of the B terminal when the input value from the register 307 (B terminal) is other than "0", and the carry output of the C terminal is It becomes "1" when the B terminal input value is other than "0".

The AND gate 310 outputs a logical product signal of the carry output from the C terminal of the adder 305 and the output signal of the AND gate 312 to the S terminal of the selector 301. The selector 301 uses the adder 3 when the signal at the S terminal is "1".
The OR output of the Σ terminal from 05 is selected, and when the signal of the S terminal is “0”, all 0s are selected and output to the A terminal of the selector 302. The AND gate 309 logically ANDs the output signal of the AND gate 312 and the binary data inverted by the inverter 313 to generate monochromatic vanishing shadow data, and gates the AND gates 13R, 13G, and 13B shown in FIG. Output as a signal.

FIG. 7 shows the data generated by the vanishing shadow casting unit 15, in which the shadow area shown by the dotted line is generated with respect to the image area shown by the solid line. The numerical values shown in FIG. 7 are the output value of the register 307 in the upper stage and the line memory 30 in the lower stage.
4 shows the output value of 4. The numerical value “5” is the value set in the register 306. As shown in FIG. 7, the shadow area becomes smaller by 2 pixels for every one line away from the image area in the main scanning direction, and becomes smaller for every one pixel in the sub-scanning direction by two lines, and therefore becomes smaller than the original image. A so-called vanishing shadow is generated which becomes smaller with distance.

Next, the coloring sections 16R, 16G and 16B will be described in detail. Although each circuit is configured by the same circuit as shown in FIG. 8, the signal MASK2X applied to the mode selector 203C is the signal MAS in the R coloring section 16R.
In the K2R 'and G coloring section 16G, the signal MASK2G',
In the B coloring unit 16B, the signal MASK2B '.

Color data is set in the data registers 100C and 101, and the color conversion selector 200C controls the image data or the data register 1 under the control of the control register 102.
Select color data from 00C. Shadow-casting rector 201
C selects the data selected by the color conversion selector 200C or the color data from the data register 101, and the processing selector 202C selects the image data or the shadow-casting reflector 20.
Select the data selected by 1C. The mode selector 203C selects a mode under the control of the control register 102 to control the processing selector 202C. When the coloring units 16R, 16G, and 16B are set to OFF, the image data is selected by the processing selector 202C.

Next, the coloring unit 16R will be described as an example. When the circuit 16R is on, the color conversion selector 20 is used.
In the coloring section 16R selected by 0C, the signal MASK2R '
When is high, erase data (all 1s) is output. Further, the signal MASK2R 'is low, and the signal MASK2R
The data in the data register 101 is selected when G ′ is high.

Signal MASK2R 'and signal MASK2G'
Is low and the signal MASK2B 'is high, the data in the data register 101 is selected.
SK2R ', signal MASK2G' and signal MASK2
When both B'are low, image data is selected.

When the circuit 16R is ON, the color conversion selector 200C selects the color data, and the coloring unit 16R selects the signal MASK2R ', the signal MASK2G' and the signal MASK.
It is the same as the case where the color conversion selector 200C selects the image data as described above, except that both SK2B 'are high. Further, the signal MASK1R is high and the signals MASK2R ′, MASK2G ′ and M
If both ASK2B 'are low, erase data (all 1s) is output.

Further, the signal MASK1R is low, and the signal MASK
SK1G is high and signal MASK2R ', signal MA
When both SK2G 'and the signal MASK2B' are low, the data in the data register 100C is selected. In this case, the signals MASK1R and MASK1 are further added.
G is low, signal MASK1B is high and signal M is
ASK2R ', signal MASK2G' and signal MASK
When both 2B 'are low, the data in the data register 100C is selected. When the signals MASK1R, MASK1G, and MASK1B are all low and the signals MASK2R ', MASK2G', and MASK2B 'are all low, image data is output. The mode selector 203C outputs complementary color components. It also has a function to restore the original.

Therefore, according to the above embodiment, RGB
The data is binarized and the three-dimensional shadowing units 11R, 11G and 11 are used.
With B, three-dimensional shadow data of so-called R, G, and B shadows each having the same size as the original image are generated, and
The monochromatic vanishing shadow generator 15 generates so-called vanishing shadow data that becomes smaller as it goes away from the original image, and masks the R, G, and B stereoscopic shadow data with the vanishing shadow data to obtain each of the R, G, and B vanishing shadow data. Since it is generated, it is possible to generate the disappearance shadows of C, C + Y, and Y as shown in FIG. 10 for the original color images of C, C + Y, and Y as shown in FIG. Vanishing shadows can be added to a color image in processing time.

Next, a second embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 shows a color image vanishing shadow generation apparatus in the second embodiment, and FIG. 12 shows the RGB vanishing shadow caster of FIG. 11 in detail. Note that each vanishing shadowing unit has the same configuration, so only one circuit is shown in FIG.

Binary data R, S0 and S1 are respectively applied to the input terminals M, S0 and S1 of the disappearance shadow casting units 15R, 15G and 15B.
G and B are input, the output out of the disappearance shadowing unit 15R is input to each input in0 of the disappearance shadowing units 15G and 15B, and the output out of the disappearance shadowing unit 15G is disappeared with the input in0 of the disappearance shadowing unit 15R. It is input to the input in1 of the shadow casting unit 15B and the output out of the vanishing shadow casting unit 15B is output to the vanishing shadow casting unit 1
Input to each input in1 of 5R and 15G.

The disappearance shadow casting unit 15R will be described as an example.
As shown in FIG. 12, this circuit is a modification of the single-color disappearance / shadowing unit 15 shown in FIG. 6 in the first embodiment, and the same components are designated by the same reference numerals. The AND gate 310 is changed from 2 inputs to 3 inputs, and the inverters 321R, 321G, and 321B and the OR gate 322 are connected.
, Selectors 700 and 701, a counter 702, a change point detector 703, and a gate 704 are added.

A counter 702 which outputs a selection signal to the selector 701 is a binary counter which counts the number of lines in the sub-scanning direction, and its output is high when the least significant bit is "0" and is "1". Sometimes it goes low. The selector 701 selects the output of the AND gate 312 to generate the vanishing shadow when the line is even, and selects the output of the OR gate 314 when the line is odd to generate the solid shadow. Therefore, in this case, as shown in FIG. 15, the shadow becomes an erasure shadow with a reduction ratio of 2/3. Further, if the output of the counter 702 is fixed to high, a solid shadow is generated as in the first embodiment (see FIG. 6).

Also, in this circuit, when the inputs R, G, B of the inputs M, S0, S1 are all 1, it means white, so that they are inverted by the inverters 321R, 321G, 321B, and C, M, Processing is performed with the Y complementary color system.

When there is no red color, in other words, when there is magenta, the shadow data of the register 306 is stored in the line memory 303. Then, in the case of a white background, that is, when the colors of the inputs M (R system), S0 (G system), and S1 (B system) are high, the input data of the line memory 303 is the value of the register 307 being -1 (decrement). It will be the value.
However, when the value of the register 307 is "0", it becomes "0".

Input M (R system) is high and input S0
When (G system) or S1 (B system) is high, the input data of the line memory 303 is "0". Note that this is to prevent color interference. The selector 700 performs vanishing shadowing when the selection signal of the control terminal S input from the change point detector 703 is high, and does not perform it when it is low.

The change point detector 703 includes inverters 321R and 3R.
OR gate 3 from 21G and 321B and OR gate 3
The Q output (selection signal of the selector 700) is determined based on the output signal of 14 (input b) and the output signal of the gate 704 (input c). In addition, the input in0 to the gate 704,
The in1 and the output signal of the OR gate 314 are input.

When the input a is high, it means a color background, and when it is low, it means a white background. The input b indicates whether or not the shadow data is generated for the color of the input M (R system), and when it is high, the shadow data is generated. Input c is high when shadow data has not been generated for all colors. The Q output of change point detector 703 goes low under the following conditions:

1) When the input a is low and the input b is high 2) When the input b is high, and when the inputs a and c one pixel before are low and high, respectively, this condition changes the white background to the shadow generation position. The vanishing point processing is performed only when. By this processing, the R disappearance shadowing unit 15R does not perform any shadowing process on the original color images of C, C + Y, and Y as shown in FIG. The shadowing process is performed on the color, and the B disappearance shadowing unit 15B displays Y as shown in FIG.
When the shadowing process is performed on the colors and they are combined,
Similar to the above embodiment, a color fading shadow as shown in FIG. 10 is generated.

According to this embodiment, the three-dimensional shadowing units 11R, 11G and 11B and the line memories 12R, 12G and 12B in the first embodiment can be omitted.
The cost can be reduced compared to the first embodiment.

[0051]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the invention, the solid shadow area of each color component is masked by the disappearance shadow area to generate the disappearance shadow area of each color component. Vanishing shadows can be added to color images over time.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the disappearance shadow data of the color component is not generated by the other disappearance shadow generating means, the disappearance shadow area of the color is generated, and the other disappearance shadow generating means generates the disappearance shadow area. When the disappearance shadow data of the color component is generated, the disappearance shadow area of the color component is not generated, and the disappearance shadow areas of the respective color components are combined, so that the memory can be efficiently used to provide an inexpensive configuration and short processing. Vanishing shadows can be added to color images over time.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to select a rate at which the vanishing shadow area becomes small, so that the vanishing shadow desired by the user can be generated.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the disappearance shadow data is generated by the line memory, it can be constructed at a lower cost than when a memory such as a page memory is used.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a color image processing apparatus according to the present invention.

2 is an explanatory diagram showing the line memory of FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is a block diagram showing in detail an R stereoscopic shadowing unit of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing in detail the G solid shadowing unit of FIG. 1;

5 is a block diagram showing in detail the B solid shadowing unit of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing in detail the monochromatic vanishing shadowing unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing vanishing shadow data generated by the vanishing shadow caster shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing in detail each RGB coloring unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an original color image.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a color fading shadow for the original color image of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a color image vanishing shadow generating apparatus according to a second embodiment.

12 is a block diagram showing in detail the RGB vanishing shadowing unit of FIG. 11. FIG.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a process of a G vanishing shadowing unit in FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a process of a B disappearance / shadowing unit shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing a rate at which the vanishing shadow is reduced by the RGB vanishing shadow caster of FIG. 11;

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Binarization unit 11R R Solid shadow casting unit 11G G Solid shadow casting unit 11B B Solid shadow casting unit 12R, 12G, 12B Line memory 13R, 13G, 14B AND gate 15 Monochromatic vanishing shadow unit 15R R Vanishing shadow unit 15G G vanishing shadowing part 15B B vanishing shadowing part 16RR R coloring part 16G G coloring part 16B B coloring part

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location G09G 5/02 B 9471-5G H 9471-5G 5/36 510 V 9471-5G 520 Z 9471-5G C 9471- 5G 530 W 9471-5G H04N 1/387

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A binarizing unit for binarizing each color component data of a color image, and each color component having the same size as the original image based on each color component data binarized by the binarizing unit. A plurality of three-dimensional shadow generating means, and a color gamut area of the image is extracted from each of the color component data binarized by the binarizing means, and a monochromatic color becomes smaller as the distance from the color ground area increases. An disappearance shadow generation unit that generates an disappearance shadow region, and a three-dimensional shadow region of each color component generated by the plurality of three-dimensional shadow generation units is masked by the disappearance shadow region generated by the disappearance shadow generation unit so that each color component disappears. A color image processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of masking means for generating shadow areas; and a combining means for combining the disappearing shadow areas of the respective color components generated by the plurality of masking means. 2. A binarizing means for binarizing each color component data of a color image and another vanishing shadow generating means determine whether or not the vanishing shadow data of the color component has been generated, and the data is generated. If there is not, a vanishing shadow region of the color that becomes smaller as it goes away from the region of the color component is generated based on each color component data binarized by the binarizing unit, and the other color component is generated by another vanishing shadow generating unit. When a plurality of disappearance shadow data have been generated, a plurality of disappearance shadow generation means that does not generate an disappearance shadow area of the color component and a combination that combines the disappearance shadow areas of each color component generated by the plurality of disappearance shadow generators And a color image processing apparatus comprising: 3. The color image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rate of reducing the vanishing shadow area can be selected. 4. The color image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of vanishing shadow generating means generate vanishing shadow data by a line memory.