JPH07327136A - Image processor and its method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To execute print by controlling image forming based on an attribute of the image so as to select an optimum image forming means depending on a type of the image. CONSTITUTION:A communication controller (CCU) 5 outputs information received from a line to a multi-port RAM 6, and output the information stored in the RAM 6 to a line. Then image data of an image to be printed is generated by using a hard disk control section (HDCU) 8, a coding buffer section (DB) 9, a decoding control section (decoder) 10, a code generator section (CG) 11 and a buffer memory 12 based on the information stored in the HDCU 8 and the received information. Image data outputted from the memory 12 is fed to a printer 14, in which the data are printed out. Thus, a laser beam printer is used for the printer 14 to print out a monochromatic image and an ink jet printer prints out a color image. Furthermore, a black/white image and a red image are formed with respect to the image including the red image in the black/white image.

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 method thereof, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus for controlling image formation by color image forming means and monochrome image forming means for forming images by mutually different systems. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A communication device for carrying a color image has a structure in which only a full-color image is targeted and a printer optimal for the full-color image is controlled.

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned conventional example has the following problems. Although there are many simple binary images and two-color (for example, black and red) images even if they are called color images, the above-mentioned communication device can output monochromatic or bicolor images other than these full-color images, and even monochrome images. Do not consider. For this reason, the optimum printer control depending on the type of image cannot be performed, and it may take more time than necessary to print these images.

The present invention is for solving the above-mentioned problem, and by controlling the image formation based on the attribute of the image, the optimum image forming means corresponding to the type of the image is selected and printing is performed. An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing device and method for executing the same.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] and

The present invention has the following structure as one means for achieving the above object. An image processing apparatus according to the present invention is an image processing apparatus that controls image formation by a color image forming unit and a monochrome image forming unit that form images in mutually different systems, and when the received image information is full color, When the image information is monochrome by the color image forming means, by the monochrome image forming means, when the image information is a predetermined limited color, the color image forming means or, if necessary, the color image forming means and the An image is formed by both of the monochrome image forming means.

An image processing method according to the present invention is an image processing method for controlling image formation by a color image forming means and a monochrome image forming means for forming images by mutually different systems, and when the received image information is full color. Is the color image forming means, when the image information is monochrome, the monochrome image forming means, when the image information is a predetermined limited color, the color image forming means or, if necessary, the color image forming means, An image is formed by both of the monochrome image forming means.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, an example in which the present invention is applied to an image communication device that exchanges image information via a line will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and image information is exchanged via a computer network or the like. It goes without saying that it can be applied to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an image communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure,
Reference numeral 1 denotes a microprocessing unit (hereinafter referred to as "MPU"), which controls the following components via a control bus 2 according to a control program. Reference numeral 4 denotes a main storage unit, which includes a read-only memory (hereinafter referred to as "ROM") and a random access memory (hereinafter referred to as "RAM"). The main memory 4 stores a control program for the MPU 1 and CCU 5 and is used as a work memory.

Reference numeral 5 is a communication control unit (hereinafter referred to as "CCU")
Then, including the control means and the transmission means, the information received from the line is output to the multiport RAM 6, and the information stored in the multiport RAM 6 is output to the line. In addition, multi-port
RAM 6 is accessible from both MPU 1 and CCU 5.
A main buffer unit (hereinafter referred to as “MB”) 7 temporarily stores transmission / reception information and the like.

Reference numeral 8 is a hard disk controller (hereinafter referred to as "HDC
U)), and stores transmission / reception information, image information, etc. in the managed hard disk. Reference numeral 9 is an encoding buffer unit (hereinafter referred to as “DB”), 10 is a decoding control unit (hereinafter referred to as “decoder”), 11 is a code generator unit (hereinafter referred to as “C”).
G)), 12 is a buffer memory, which forms image data of an image to be printed from the received information and the information stored by the HDCU 8.

A printer control unit (hereinafter referred to as "PCU") 13 controls the printer device 14 and also performs image processing such as multi-value density conversion for controlling multi-value conversion and density conversion. The image data output from the buffer memory 12 is
After the necessary processing (for example, multi-value conversion and density conversion) is performed by the PCU 13, it is sent to the printer device 14 for printing.

Reference numeral 15 is a scanner device, 16 is a gamma conversion unit for a scanner image, 17 is a scanner control unit (hereinafter referred to as "SCU").
18) is a buffer memory, 19 is an encoding control unit (hereinafter referred to as “encoder”), and 20 is an encoding buffer unit (hereinafter referred to as “CB”). With these configurations, a document image to be transmitted or stored is read, subjected to necessary processing, and then encoded as transmission information or storage information.

In each of the above configurations, image data, transmission / reception information, storage information, etc. are exchanged via the bus 3. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the configuration of the printer device 14. Reference numeral 21 denotes a control unit, which is a control unit for controlling a print head (hereinafter referred to as "BJ head") 22 of an inkjet printer and an LBP engine 23 of a laser beam printer.

The BJ head 22 includes yellow, magenta, cyan and black ink cartridges, and the LBP engine 23 includes a black toner cartridge. That is, the control unit 21 controls the LBP engine 2 during monochrome output.
3 (monochrome image forming means) is operated,
For example, during limited color output of two colors or three colors, control for operating the BJ head 22 (color image forming means) at high speed and high-speed BJ processing are performed. Further, during full-color output, control for operating the BJ head 22 at low speed and low-speed detailed processing are performed. Note that the low-speed detailed process is a normal color print process by an inkjet printer, and the high-speed BJ process is, for example, a slight deterioration of the image quality by lowering the resolution and allowing the print head to be controlled faster than usual. This is processing for performing reciprocal printing.

In this way, the printer device 14 of this embodiment is used.
Prints a monochrome image with a laser beam printer and a color image with an inkjet printer. Regarding a black-and-white image including a red image, a laser beam printer can form a black-and-white image, an inkjet printer can form a red image, and an inkjet printer can form all images.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the page information format. Field F1 is the page size, field F2 is the coding type, field F3 is the compression, field F4 is the color space, field F5 is the interleaved format, field F6 is the sampling ratio, field F7 is the coding mode, Field F8 is a table, field F9 is the pixel transmission density, field F10 is the number of bits of the color component, field F11 is the color mode, field F12 is
Indicates the original image type, respectively.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of a color image communication protocol, which is executed by the MPU 1 and CCU 5 by a control program stored in the main storage unit 4. This communication protocol is ITU-T Recommendation T. Described as .62. Upon reception, the protocol P1 is used to make a connection below the transport layer of the fourth layer in the OSI7 layer.
A session start command (CSS) is received by protocol P2, and a session start process response (RSS) is received by protocol P3.
P) is sent.

Subsequently, the document function list command (CDCL) is received by the protocol P4, and the document function list process response (RDCLP) is transmitted by the protocol P5.
That is, the characteristics of the image communicated in P4 and P5 are negotiated. Subsequently, the document start command (CDS) is received by the protocol P6, and the document user information command (CDUI) is received by the protocol P7. The user information carried by the CDUI includes image attributes. The image attribute is sent to the printer device 14 via the MPU 1, and the printer device 14 executes optimum control of the printer according to the image attribute. The image attributes include image types such as color, full color, binary color, binary, monochrome, and binary black and white.

Subsequently, in the protocol P8, the code data compressed and encoded by the CDUI is carried, and when the communication of all the image data of one page is completed, the process proceeds to the protocol P9. protocol
A document end command (CDE) is received at P9, and a document end acknowledgment (RDEP) is sent at protocol P10. Next, the session end command (CSE) is received by the protocol P11, the session end acknowledgment (RSEP) is transmitted by the protocol P12, and then the communication layer and the layers below it are disconnected by the protocol P13.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for changing the print processing level, which is executed by the control unit 21 of the printer device 14 that has received the image attribute. Step S1
Then, it is determined from the page information format shown in FIG. 4 included in the image attribute whether the output image is color or monochrome. If it is monochrome (or binary black and white), the LBP engine 23 is controlled to output an image in step S5.

If it is a color, it is determined in step S2 whether it is a full color. If it is full color, the low speed detailed process is executed in step S3 to output a full color image. If not full color (for example, two colors or binary colors), high-speed BJ processing is executed in step S4 to output a color image. Further, as described above, with respect to an image in which a black-and-white image includes a red image, a black-and-white image can be formed by a laser beam printer and a red image can be formed by an inkjet printer, or all can be formed by an inkjet printer. However, in the low-speed detailed processing and high-speed BJ processing executed in steps S3 and S4, for example, when the characteristics of the image are determined and there are many black and white parts, a black and white image is printed by a laser beam printer and an inkjet printer is used. In the case where there are many color portions for forming red images respectively, the inkjet printer includes a function of forming all, and the user can turn this function on and off. By using this function, it is possible to shorten the printing time for an image in which a red image is included in the black and white image.

In the embodiment described above, ITU-T Recommendation T.6
2 was used, but the same can be done when other ITU-T recommendations or protocols based on the ISO OSI7 layer are adopted.
As described above, according to this embodiment, the transmission side declares the characteristics and image attributes of the communication image in the communication protocol, so that the reception side can perform optimal control of the printer. Therefore, it is possible to perform the optimum printing according to the image, so that the printing time can be shortened, the stress and waiting time of the operator can be reduced, and the operating efficiency of printer resources can be improved. In the communication method in which the communication is ended, the communication time is less influenced by the print time, and as a result, the communication cost can be reduced.

The ink cartridge is not limited to the above four colors, but may be three colors of yellow, cyan and magenta. Further, the limited color means a case where the number of color components is smaller than the number of color components that can be formed by the plurality of image forming units described above. In the case of the limited color image, the image is formed only by the ink cartridge or by both the ink cartridge and the toner cartridge, but the image formation using the ink cartridge is performed at high speed. Further, in the above example, the inkjet type and electrophotographic type hybrid printer is used, but other combinations such as a thermal transfer type and an electrophotographic type may be used.

The present invention may be applied to either a system composed of a plurality of devices or an apparatus composed of a single device. Further, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to the case where it is achieved by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus.

[0025]

According to the present invention, an image processing apparatus and method for controlling the image formation based on the attribute of the image to select the optimum image forming means according to the type of the image and execute the printing. Can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an image communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a configuration of the printer device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a page information format.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a color image communication protocol.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for changing the print processing level according to this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Micro Processing Unit (MPU) 4 Main Storage Unit 5 Communication Control Unit (CCU) 7 Main Buffer Unit (MB) 8 Hard Disk Control Unit (HDCU) 9 Encoding Buffer Unit (DB) 10 Decoding Control Unit (Decoder) 11 Code Generator Unit (CG) 12 Buffer memory 13 Printer control unit (PCU) 14 Printer device 15 Scanner device 16 Gamma conversion unit 17 Scanner control unit (SCU) 18 Buffer memory 19 Encoding control unit (encoder) 20 Encoding buffer unit (CB) 21 Control unit

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An image processing apparatus for controlling image formation by a color image forming means and a monochrome image forming means for forming images in mutually different systems, wherein when the received image information is full color, the color image forming means is used. When the image information is monochrome, the monochrome image forming means is used. When the image information is a predetermined limited color, the color image forming means or both the color image forming means and the monochrome image forming means are used as necessary. An image processing apparatus, wherein an image is formed by the method. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image attribute is sent by being included in a communication protocol. 3. The color image forming means executes normal color image formation when the image information is a full-color image, and executes high-speed color image formation when the image information is a color image other than a full-color image. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the color image forming unit is an inkjet printer. 5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the monochrome image forming unit is a laser beam printer. 6. An image processing method for controlling image formation by a color image forming means and a monochrome image forming means for forming images in mutually different systems, wherein when the received image information is full color, the color image forming means When the image information is monochrome, the monochrome image forming means is used. When the image information is a predetermined limited color, the color image forming means or both the color image forming means and the monochrome image forming means are used as necessary. An image processing method, wherein an image is formed by the method.