JPH07210659A - Multicolor image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To connect an image processor and a printer even in the case that the number of available colors is different between the image processor and the printer. CONSTITUTION:Normally, an image conversion circuit 14 outputs black image data supplied from a page buffer 12 to an output interface 15 and outputs red image data supplied from a page buffer 13 to an output interface 16. The image conversion circuit 14 can operate OR between black image data and read image data to output the result to the output interface 15 or 16. The image conversion circuit 14 can output the black image data to the output interface 16 and can output the red image data to the output interface 15. That is, a color can be substituted with another color. The processing in the image conversion 14 is determined by control signals s0 and s1 based on setting of a register 17.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multicolor image processing apparatus and, more particularly, to output N color (N ≧ 2) image data (hereinafter referred to as N color image data) to an image output apparatus. The present invention relates to a multicolor image processing apparatus that performs processing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an image forming apparatus in which an image processing apparatus and an image output apparatus such as a printer are integrally formed (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-316172). In this image forming apparatus, data including color information supplied from the host computer is stored in the print buffer for each color,
The data for each color is output to a printer as an image output device.

As described above, in addition to the system in which the image processing device and the image output device are integrated, the image processing system is configured by arbitrarily combining the image processing device and the image output device provided separately. There are many things.

[0004]

As described above, when an image processing apparatus and an image output apparatus are arbitrarily combined to form a system, the numbers of colors that the image processing apparatus and the image output apparatus can handle do not match. In some cases, they may not be able to connect to each other due to the difference in their capabilities.

If the number of colors that can be handled by the image output device matches the number of colors that can be handled by the image processing device, or if the number of colors that can be handled by the image output device is greater, then both can be connected. However, in the opposite case, since all the colors of the processed image data cannot be output to the image output device, the image output device and the image processing device cannot be connected.

In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a multicolor image processing apparatus that can be connected to an image output apparatus even when the number of colors that the image output apparatus can handle is less than the number of colors that the image processing apparatus can handle. The purpose is to provide.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides a page buffer for storing image data for each color of N color image data, and an image output device for outputting the image data. And output image data supplied from each page buffer to n (where n ≦ N) image data supplied to any n of the output interface units. It is characterized in that it is provided with image data conversion means for performing the above and register means for outputting a control signal to the image data conversion means.

[0008]

According to the invention having the above characteristics, the image data stored in the page buffer is not output only to the output interface having a certain correspondence, but is arbitrary according to the control signal determined by the register setting. Can be selectively output to the n interfaces. Therefore,
Even if the output interface and the input interface of the image output apparatus have a certain correspondence relationship, arbitrary image data can be supplied to the input interface of the image output apparatus regardless of this correspondence relationship.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a printer system including a multicolor image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In the figure, the image processing apparatus 1 processes the image data supplied from the host computer 2 to process the image output apparatus 3
Output to. The control circuit 18 controls each unit of the image processing apparatus 1 according to an instruction from the host computer 2.

The image processing apparatus 1, the host computer 2, and the image output apparatus 3 are housed in different housings. The image processing apparatus 1 and the host computer 2 are
It is connected by a dedicated bus 4. The image output device 3
Is a color laser beam printer, a thermal color printer, an inkjet color printer, or the like.

An input interface (i / f) 11 is connected to the host computer 2 via a bus 4, and the first and second color page buffers 12 and 13 receive image data via the input interface 11. Is accepted. The first color data (black data in this embodiment) of one page of image data is expanded in the first color page buffer 12, and the first color data of one page of the image data is expanded in the second color page buffer 13. Two color data (red data in this embodiment) are developed.

The black image data DB output from the first color page buffer 12 and the second color page buffer 1
The red image data DR output from 3 is processed by the image data conversion circuit 14 and output to the first color and second color output interfaces 15 and 16.

The register 17 included in the control circuit 18 is
Control signals s0 and s1 supplied to the image data conversion circuit 14
Is set to a predetermined value. This setting is performed according to an operator's instruction input from an input device (not shown) provided in the host computer 2 or the image processing apparatus 1.

The image data conversion circuit 14 is a logic circuit controlled by the control signals s0 and s1 from the register 17. In the logic circuit, the image data DB supplied from the first color and second color page buffers 12 and 13,
The DR is controlled so as to be selectively output to the first color and second color output interfaces 15 and 16 according to the control signals s0 and s1.

In the present embodiment, the black image data DB and the red image data DR are not always made to correspond one-to-one to the first color output interface 15 and the second output interface 16, respectively, but their corresponding relationship is set. It can be set arbitrarily. That is, the first color output interface 15 or the second color output interface 1 is obtained by taking the logical sum (OR) of the image data DB and the image data DR.
6, the logic circuit is configured so that it can be arbitrarily selected such that the image data DB is input to the second output interface 16 or the image data DR is input to the first interface 15.

Further, the image data DB or DR output from the first color output interface 15 is input to the first color input interface (not shown) of the output device 3 and the image output from the second color output interface 16. The data DB or DR is input to the second color input interface (not shown) of the image output device 3.

Subsequently, the control signals s0 and s1 and
Image data DB input to the image data conversion circuit 14,
The relationship between the DR and the image data output from the image data conversion circuit 14 to the first color and second color output interfaces 15 and 16 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows that the first color interface (first i / f) and the second color output interface (second) depending on the values of the control signals s0 and s1.
It is a figure showing what kind of image data is input to i / f).

First, the colors and numbers of the colors handled by the image processing apparatus 1 and the image output apparatus 3 are the same, and the colors corresponding to the output interfaces 15 and 16 are input to the input interface (not shown) of the image output apparatus 3. The setting of the control signals s0 and s1 when the corresponding colors match (case 1) will be described. In this case, the control signals s0 and s1 are both set to "0", and the black image data DB is output to the first color output interface 15 and the red image data DR is output to the second color output interface 16 as they are. That is, when the first color output interface 15 is connected to the black input interface of the image output apparatus 3 and the second color output interface 16 is connected to the red input interface of the image output apparatus 3, The output signal of the one-color page buffer 12, that is, the image data DB of black and the output signal of the second-color page buffer 13, that is, the image data DR of red are directly used as the first and second color output interfaces 15 and 16.
You can input each in.

On the other hand, when the image output device 3 has only the ability to handle only black or red (cases 2 and 3).
Sets the control signals s0 and s1 to different levels. As a result, the OR of the black image data DB and the red image data DR is taken, and the combined image data is output to one of the output interfaces 15 and 16.

Furthermore, when the correspondence relationship between the output interfaces 15 and 16 of the image processing apparatus and the input interface of the image output apparatus 3 does not match (Case 4), that is, the signal from the image processing apparatus 1 is directly input to the image output apparatus 3. If it is connected to the input interface, the output color will be inverted, and if the correspondence relationship is such that black is red and red is black,
The control signals s0 and s1 are both set to "1". As a result, the black image data DB is transferred to the second color output interface 16,
The red image data DR is the first color output interface 1
Connect to 5.

When the output interfaces 15 and 16 of the image processing apparatus 1 and the interface of the image output apparatus 3 correspond to each other, the control signals s0 and s1 are both set to "1" to change from black to red. It is also possible to intentionally invert the color from red to black for output.

As described above, in this embodiment, the image data divided into N colors and expanded in the page buffer are combined as needed to form one color, or the color of the image data is replaced with another color. Can be output.

In the above description, the image data having two colors has been described. However, even if the image data is composed of two or more colors, a page buffer, an output interface, etc. are added depending on the number of the colors. Alternatively, the present invention can be applied by increasing the number of bits in the register if necessary. The data type may be any of character, image data, and graphic data.

Further, in the present embodiment, the processing of the image data created and supplied by the host computer has been described, but the image data stored in the page buffer is read by the CCD sensor for each color and transferred. It may have been done.

[0025]

In the past, the page buffer for each color was generally fixedly connected to a dedicated output interface. Therefore, according to the conventional configuration,
The image data is output only to the output interface having a certain correspondence.

On the other hand, in the present invention, the image data stored in the page buffer is not output only to the output interface having a fixed correspondence, but according to the control signal determined by the register setting. , Output interface can be arbitrarily selected and output. Therefore, even if the output interface of the image processing apparatus and the input interface of the image output apparatus have a certain correspondence relationship, arbitrary image data can be supplied to the input interface of the image output apparatus regardless of this correspondence relationship. .

As a result, even when the numbers of colors that can be handled by the image processing apparatus and the image output apparatus are different from each other, or the interface for determining the color correspondence is not the desired correspondence, the register setting is performed. The desired multicolor image data can be output only by changing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a printer system including a multicolor image processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a relationship between input image data and output image data.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Image processing device, 2 ... Host computer, 3 ...
Image output device, 12 ... First color page buffer, 13
... second color page buffer, 14 ... image data conversion circuit, 15 ... first color output interface, 16 ... second
Color output interface, 17 ... Register

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Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A multi-color image processing device for supplying image data of N colors (where N is an integer of 2 or more) to an image output device, and a page buffer for storing image data of each color, N for outputting data to the image output device
Output interface means, and image data conversion means for outputting the image data supplied from each page buffer as image data of n colors (where n ≦ N) to any n of the output interface means. A multicolor image processing apparatus, comprising: a register means for outputting a control signal to the image data converting means.