JPH07160897A - Picture processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To apply an appropriate area processing such as painting-out, etc., to the closed area of an original line to form the closed area by executing thickening processing to a read original picture at the time when a writing means writes the original picture in a storage means. CONSTITUTION:First of all, one arbitrary point in the desired closed area existing on the original is designated by using a digitizer 104. Next, in a picture reading part 101, the original picture is read by executing pre-scanning, and is inputted as binary data to a bit map memory. Next, the coordinates of a contour tracing starting point for extracting the contour line are determined and the tracing of the contour line is executed from the determined contour tracing starting point, and contour information is acquired. Area data is calculated on the basis of the acquired contour information, and this area data is written in the bit map memory. The data of the read binary data given the thickening processing is stored in the bit map memory through this processing. Accordingly, as for the inner boundary of the contour line, the inner boundary is formed at the inside of the inner boundary of the closed area in the actual original.

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, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus such as a digital copying machine, a printer or the like for performing arbitrary image processing on a designated closed area of input image data and outputting the image data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an image processing apparatus such as a digital copying machine having a function of performing a specific image processing on a document image in addition to a normal copying operation.
Further, in such an apparatus, there is a device capable of designating an arbitrary closed region in a document image and performing image processing on the designated closed region different from other regions.

As a conventional technique of such an image processing apparatus, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-45227 discloses an invention for performing a filling process in a specified closed region for image data. An object of the present invention is to prevent unpainted portions from being left behind when filling a designated closed area.
Therefore, when extracting the contour line forming the closed area, the contour line is approximated to be larger than the actual contour line, and the filling process is performed based on the approximated contour line, so that the unfilled fill in the specified closed region is performed. It adopts a configuration that performs processing.

[0004]

However, according to the above-mentioned conventional technique, when the contour line is extracted, the contour line information is extracted by approximating the contour line by a degree larger than the actual contour line. Trouble occurs. Figure 1
When the inside of the designated entry column (corresponding to the closed area) in the table shown in 2 is filled with white and only the table frame as shown in FIG. The table frame itself that forms the entry field is also filled,
There is a problem that the output result is as shown in FIG. 13 in which a part of the table frame is filled. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides an image processing apparatus capable of performing an appropriate area processing such as filling in a closed area of a document without erasing a contour line forming the closed area. With the goal.

[0005]

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in an image processing apparatus for performing image processing on a closed region of a read original image, a reading unit for reading the original image and a reading unit A storage unit that stores the read original image, a writing unit that writes the original image in the storage unit, a closed region extraction unit that extracts a closed region from the original image stored in the storage unit, and an image in the closed region An image processing unit that performs image processing is provided, and when the writing unit writes the document image in the storage unit, the read document image is thickened.

Further, the closed area extracting means employs a structure for extracting the inside of the outline forming the closed area. Further, in an image processing apparatus that performs image processing on a closed area of a read document image, a reading unit that reads the document image, a first storage unit that stores the document image read by the reading unit, and a first storage. First writing means for writing the original image in the means, closed area extracting means for extracting the closed area from the original image stored in the first storage means,
Second storage means for storing data representing the outer circumference of the extracted closed region, second writing means for writing data into the second storage means, and data representing the outer circumference stored in the second storage means. An image processing unit that performs image processing on the image in the closed region based on the second writing unit writes data in the second storage unit. Then, the configuration for writing is adopted.

Further, when the image processing means carries out the image processing, the image processing is carried out for the area inside the closed area represented by the data representing the outer circumference stored in the second storage means. Further, when the image processing means performs the image processing, the image processing is performed on the area inside the closed area stored in the second storage means.

[0007]

Since the present invention employs the above configuration, in the invention according to claim 1, since the read document image is thickened, when the inside of the table frame is white-painted, the table frame is erased. It has the effect of filling in white without. Claim 2
In the invention according to, the contour line tracking has the same effect because the inside of the contour line forming the closed region is detected as the contour. According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the data indicating the closed area is written in the storage means, the data indicating the outer circumference of the closed area is corrected and written in the inward direction of the closed area, so that there is a similar effect. In the invention according to claim 4, when the image processing means performs the image processing, the image processing is performed on the area inside the closed area represented by the data representing the outer circumference of the closed area stored in the storage means. effective.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. (1) Overall Configuration FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a digital copying machine using the present invention. The image reading unit 101 includes an illumination lamp, a mirror, a lens, a CCD, and the like, optically reads a document (not shown), and outputs the read image data to the image processing unit 102.

The image processing unit 102 performs various image processing including area processing such as filling processing of a closed area on the input image data, and outputs the processed image data to the image recording unit 103. The image recording unit 103 outputs an image subjected to various image processings to a predetermined recording paper based on the input image data. The digitizer 104 is used for inputting coordinate data for designating a desired area when the image processing unit performs area processing. Further, each block is connected to the system control unit 105, and the system control unit 105 controls each block so as to perform desired processing.

The present invention particularly relates to the image processing unit 102 among the above-mentioned blocks, and a publicly known technique can be used for other configurations. Next, the image processing unit 102 of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the image processing unit 102. The image data of the original image output by the image reading unit 101 is input to the filter processing unit 201 and the bitmap memory 205. Each block denoted by reference numerals 201 to 204 has a function of performing each image processing on the image data input from the image reading unit 101 based on an instruction from the area processing control unit 206.
Performs a spatial filtering process, the graphic processing unit 202 performs a halftone process, the halftone processing unit 203 performs a density adjustment process, and the color processing unit 204 performs a paint (painting) process.

Reference numeral 205 is a bit map memory for storing image data of one or a plurality of areas and area data indicating the contents of processing in each area. The area processing control unit 206 is a block that performs control related to area processing, and controls writing of area data to the bitmap memory 205, control of processing of each area based on the area data, and the like. The RAM 207 is a block that stores contour information of image data extracted from the data stored in the bitmap memory 205. FIG. 3 shows a data structure of area data used for area processing.
In this embodiment, the area data is composed of 4 bits per address in the depth direction, and the 4 image processing blocks, the filter processing unit 201, the graphic processing unit 202, the halftone processing unit 203, and ON / OFF of the operation of the color processing unit 204 is controlled.

(2) Closed Area Designation Next, the closed area designation of the present embodiment will be described. The closed area designation means that the operator designates one point on the document to designate a closed area including the designated one point.
By this designation, data that specifies the closed region in which each process is performed is input to the system.

This will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. In FIG. 4, first, an arbitrary point 401 within a desired closed area existing on the original is designated using the digitizer 104 (FIG. 1). Next, the image reading unit 101 performs pre-scanning, reads the original image, and inputs it as binary data to the bitmap memory 205 of FIG. 2 (S5).
01).

Next, the coordinates of the contour tracing start point for extracting the contour line are obtained (S502), and the contour tracing is performed from the obtained contour tracing starting point to obtain contour information (S503).
Area data is calculated based on the acquired contour information, and this area data is written to the bitmap memory 205 (S504).

Each step will be described in detail below. Document Image Reading S501 The document is pre-scanned in the image reading unit 101, the document image is read as binary data, 16 × 16 OR processing is performed, and then written in the bitmap memory 205.
As a result of this processing, as shown in FIG. 12, the read binary data is thickened and stored in the bitmap memory 205. For example, when the resolution of the image data is 400 DPI, the thickening process causes the boundary line of the contour to expand to the inside and outside by a maximum of about 1 mm. Therefore, the inner boundary of the contour line is inside the inner boundary of the closed area in the actual document.

Determination of Contour Tracking Start Point S502 FIG. 6 shows a flowchart for determining the contour tracking start point.
In determining the contour tracing start point, first, the bitmap memory 2 is selected according to the designated coordinates designated using the digitizer 104.
Binary data corresponding to the designated coordinate position is acquired from 05 (S601). Next, in step S602, it is determined whether the pixel of the designated coordinate is black. When the pixel at the designated coordinate is black, an error code is output to the system control unit 105 as an error (S
603), and the process ends.

On the other hand, if the pixel at the designated coordinate is not black, the pixel at the designated coordinate is set as the pixel of interest (S604),
It is determined whether or not the pixel on the left of the pixel of interest is black (S60).
5). If the pixel to the left of the pixel of interest is a black pixel, the pixel of interest at that time is used as the contour tracking start point, and its coordinates are used as the contour information.
It is stacked in the AM 207 (S606), and the process ends. If the pixel to the left of the pixel of interest is white, the pixel of interest is moved to the left by one pixel (S608), and the process of determining whether or not the new pixel of interest is black is continued until the coordinates corresponding to the left edge of the document (S607). , S605, S608). When the black pixel is not detected even though the pixel of interest has been moved to the leftmost coordinate, an error code is output to the system control unit 105 as an error (S603), and the process ends.

Contour Tracking S503 FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of contour tracking. First, S50
The contour tracking start point determined in 2 is designated as the pixel of interest (S
701). Next, it is determined whether the pixel to the right of the pixel of interest is white (S702). When a black pixel is detected in S702, the first white pixel of the eight adjacent pixels is detected clockwise starting from the adjacent point on the right of the pixel of interest (S703). on the other hand,
When a white pixel is detected in S702, the white pixel before the first black pixel of the eight adjacent pixels is detected counterclockwise starting from the adjacent point on the right of the target pixel (S704).

When the detection of the white pixels fails in S703 and S704, that is, when the eight neighboring pixels are all white pixels or all black pixels (S70)
5), an error code is output to the system control unit 105 as an error (S706), and the process ends. However, a pixel once detected as a white pixel is not detected as a white pixel again. If the white pixels are successfully detected (S70
5) From the relative position between the detected white pixel and the pixel of interest, FIG.
The chain code shown in is obtained and the code value is stacked in the RAM 207 as contour information (S710).

Next, the detected white pixel is set as a new target pixel (S708), and steps S702 and thereafter are repeated until the target pixel and the contour tracking start point match (S70).
9). When the new pixel of interest and the contour tracking start point match, the process ends.

According to the above processing, as shown in FIG. 9, when the designated coordinates are designated inside the closed area and the contour tracing start point is obtained from the designated coordinates, the contour is located inside one pixel of the closed area. Tracking is performed and contour information is stacked in the RAM 207 (see FIG. 9).

(3) Writing Area Data S504 Writing area data will be described. The area data is data representing the processing to be performed for each designated closed area, which is generated based on the contour information acquired by the above-described processing and stacked in the RAM 207. When the above processing ends without generating an error code, it is determined that the contour information has been correctly acquired, and the area processing control unit 20
6 performs the following processing.

First, the contents of the bit map memory 205 are cleared. Then, based on the contour information stacked in the RAM 207, the area data is written in the bitmap memory 205 so as to be the contour position of the closed area of the document. FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of area data writing.

The area processing control unit 206 has a RAM 207.
The contour information stored in is read and the chain code of the contour information at the target position is detected (S100).
1). If the chain code has an upward component or a downward component (upper, upper right, upper left or lower,
(Lower right, lower left), the four-pixel writing position is corrected toward the inside of the closed region along the main scanning direction (S1002).

After the above correction, it is detected whether the area data has already been written in the write position in the bit map memory 205 (S1006). S90
When the existing area data is detected in 3, the writing position of the area data to be written is corrected (S1007). The correction amount of the writing position here is one pixel in the main scanning direction.

After the above correction of the writing position, the area data is written in the bitmap memory 205 (S1).
008). After that, the position of the pixel of interest is incremented by the chain code on the RAM (S1010), and the above processing is repeated until the writing of all area data is completed, and is finished when the writing of all area data is completed (S1009).

By the above processing, 4 along the main scanning direction
Area data is written at a position inside the pixel-closed region. The area processing control unit 206 assigns area numbers according to the order in which the areas are designated and writes the area data, and in order to correlate the processing to be performed on the image of each area, the area processing control unit 206 The table showing the contents is stored in the internal memory.

(4) Area Processing Next, area processing according to area data by the area processing control unit will be described. Area processing control unit 206
Reads the area data written in the bit map memory 205 for each main scanning line and detects the area data. Next, the content of the area processing corresponding to the area number of the detected area data is specified by referring to the table created when writing the area data, and the filter processing unit 201, the graphic processing unit 202, and the halftone processing unit 203 are specified.
Also, the color processing unit 204 is controlled to execute the image processing designated for each area.

FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of the area processing. Data for one line is read from the bitmap memory 205 (S1101), and the area flag and the target pixel position are initialized (set to the left end position) (S1102). Next, it is detected whether or not area data exists on the target pixel (S1103), and if not detected, the target pixel is moved by one pixel in the main scanning direction (S1104), and the process returns to S1103.

If area data exists in the pixel of interest, it is detected whether area data exists continuously from the pixel of interest in the main scanning direction (S1105), and if detected, the position of the last area data. Set the pixel of interest to (S
1106).

When the target pixel containing the area data is detected, it is detected whether the area flag is set (S1107). If the area flag is not set, the area flag is set by performing area processing according to the area data from a position 4 pixels away from that position in the main scanning direction (S1108). If the area flag is set, the area process currently being executed is ended 4 pixels before the target pixel position in the main scanning direction and the area flag is initialized (S1109).

The above S is executed until all pixels on one line are processed.
Steps 1103 to S1108 are repeated (S1110), and when all the pixels in one line have been processed, the process ends. By applying the above processing to each line independently, the bitmap memory 2
The specified area processing can be executed on the area inside the position of the area data written in 05.

In this embodiment, the bit map memory for storing the binary data of the original image and the bit map memory for writing the area data for area processing are common, but each has a memory individually. It may be. Further, in the present embodiment, when the binary data of the original image is stored in the bit map memory, 16 × 16 OR processing is performed. However, another means is used to perform thickening processing on the binary data. Such a configuration may be adopted.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the contour extraction processing is performed on the binary data of the original, the position of the white pixel inside one pixel of the contour line is detected, but by other means. Further, the contour may be extracted at an inner position. Further, in the present embodiment, when the area data is written in the bit map memory, the writing position of the area data is corrected by 4 pixels inward in the main scanning direction from the chain code of the pixel of interest. The correction amount may be 4 pixels or more in addition to the main scanning direction in addition to the main scanning direction.

Further, in this embodiment, when the image processing according to the area data is applied to the input image data by the area data written in the bit map memory, the area data writing position is always 4 in the main scanning direction. Although the predetermined image processing is performed on the area inside the pixel, the same correction may be applied not only to the main scanning but also to the sub-scanning direction by other means. Further, the correction amount may be 4 pixels or more.

Further, in this embodiment, when the area to be processed is stored in the bitmap memory, the area sandwiched by the area data is subjected to predetermined image processing. The area processing may be performed by another method such as filling all areas to be filled with the area data.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the image processing apparatus for performing the image processing on the closed area of the read original image, the reading means for reading the original image and the original read by the reading means. Storage means for storing an image, writing means for writing an original image in the storage means, closed area extracting means for extracting a closed area from the original image stored in the storage means, and image processing for an image in the closed area When the writing unit writes the document image in the storage unit, the writing unit is configured to perform thickening processing on the read document image. Therefore, when only the inside of the table frame is white-filled, There is an effect that only the inside can be painted white without erasing the table frame. Further, the detection of the contour line by the closed region extraction means has a similar effect by adopting a configuration of extracting the inside of the contour line forming the closed region.

Further, in the image processing apparatus for performing the image processing on the closed area of the read original image, the reading means for reading the original image, the first storing means for storing the original image read by the reading means, A first writing unit for writing an original image in the first storage unit; a closed region extracting unit for extracting a closed region from the original image stored in the first storage unit; and data representing the outer circumference of the extracted closed region. An image for the image in the closed region based on the second storage means for storing, the second writing means for writing data in the second storage means, and the data representing the outer circumference stored in the second storage means Image processing means for performing processing, the second writing means is the second
When the data is written in the storage means, since the data representing the outer circumference is corrected and written in the inner direction of the closed region, the same effect can be obtained. Further, when the image processing means performs the image processing, the image processing is performed on the area inside the closed area stored in the second storage means, so that the same effect can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a digital copying machine adopting the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an image processing unit.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a structure of area data.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of specifying a contour tracking start point.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a closed region designation process.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a method of designating a contour tracking start point.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing contour tracking processing.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a chain code.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of contour tracking processing.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an area data writing process.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing area processing.

FIG. 12 is a front image of an example of a document image.

FIG. 13 is an output image of white filling processing for a table frame according to a conventional technique.

FIG. 14 is an output image of a white-filling process for a table frame according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of a thickening process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 image reading unit 101 102 image processing unit 102 103 image recording unit 103 104 digitizer 104 105 system control unit 105 201 filter processing unit 201 202 graphic processing unit 202 203 halftone processing unit 203 204 color processing unit 204 205 205 bitmap memory 205 206 Area processing control unit 206 207 RAM 207

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location G09G 5/36 530 X 9471-5G

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image processing apparatus for performing image processing on a closed region of a read original image, a reading unit for reading the original image, a storage unit for storing the original image read by the reading unit, and an original image for storing the original image. And a writing means for writing to the storage means, a closed area extraction means for extracting a closed area from an original image stored in the storage means, and an image processing means for performing image processing on an image in the closed area, An image processing apparatus, wherein when a writing unit writes a document image in a storage unit, a thickening process is performed on the read document image. 2. An image processing apparatus for performing image processing on a closed region of a read original image, a reading unit for reading the original image, a storage unit for storing the original image read by the reading unit, and a storage unit. Writing means for writing an original image, closed area extracting means for extracting a closed area by detecting a contour line forming a closed area from the original image stored in the storage means, and an image for an image in the closed area An image processing apparatus comprising image processing means for performing processing, wherein the closed area extraction means detects the contour line by extracting the inside of the contour line forming the closed area. 3. An image processing apparatus for performing image processing on a closed area of a read original image, a reading unit for reading the original image, and a first storage unit for storing the original image read by the reading unit. First writing means for writing an original image in the first storage means, and a closed area for extracting the closed area by detecting a contour line forming the closed area from the original image stored in the first storage means Extraction means, second storage means for storing data representing the outer circumference of the extracted closed region, second writing means for writing data in the second storage means, and second storage means for storing the data. The second writing means stores the data representing the outer circumference of the closed area in the second storage means, the image processing means performing image processing on the image in the closed area based on the data representing the outer circumference of the closed area. When writing The image processing apparatus characterized by writing to modify the inside direction of the closed region data representative. 4. An image processing apparatus for performing image processing on a closed region of a read original image, a reading unit for reading the original image, and a first storage unit for storing the original image read by the reading unit. First writing means for writing an original image in the first storage means, and a closed area for extracting the closed area by detecting a contour line forming the closed area from the original image stored in the first storage means Extraction means, second storage means for storing data representing the outer circumference of the extracted closed region, second writing means for writing data in the second storage means, and second storage means for storing the data. Data indicating the outer circumference stored in the second storage means when the image processing means performs image processing on the image in the closed region based on the data indicating the outer circumference. Represented by The image processing apparatus according to claim image processing applying the area inside the closed region that.