JPH0774971A - Color image recoder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a color image recorder capable of changing a binary pattern without increasing the storage capacity of a recorder body and increasing the number of gradations of each color if necessary. CONSTITUTION:Binary patterns Y, M, C, K are stored in each color. When a binary pattern feeding card 10 is loaded, the addresses of binary patterns in the card 10 are stored in a binary pattern point table 8 in each color. At the time of receiving color image data from a host computer 2 through a receiving buffer 4, binary patterns corresponding to the recording density of respective colors are obtained based upon the stored addresses for respective colors and stored in a frame memory 6 and a color image is recorded in a color image output part 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a color image recording apparatus, and more particularly to a color image recording apparatus which receives multi-valued color image data and generates and records a binary image pattern.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a color image recording apparatus which receives multi-valued color image forming data and generates and records a binary image pattern, multi-valued image information is converted into a binary image. When converting to a pattern, a binary pattern provided in advance in the recording apparatus main body is used for processing.

Further, yellow (Y), magenta (M),
The number of gradations for each of the four colors of cyan (C) and black (B) is also fixed to the number determined in advance by the recording apparatus main body.

[0004]

Therefore, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the binarization pattern used when a binary image is generated cannot be changed. Further, in order to realize a large number of gradations, it is necessary to prepare patterns for gradations in the color image recording apparatus main body, and there is also a problem that a large storage capacity of the recording apparatus main body is required.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the binary pattern can be changed without increasing the storage capacity of the main body, and the number of gradations of each color can be increased if necessary. An object of the present invention is to provide a color image recording device capable of performing the above.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the structure of the present invention has a plurality of color image recording apparatuses for receiving multivalued color image data and generating and recording a binary image pattern. A detachable external storage means for storing a binarized pattern for each color, an address storage means for storing an address of the binarized pattern stored in the external storage means for each color, and an address storage means. A recording unit that acquires a binarized pattern corresponding to the recording density of each color from the stored address of each color and records a color image.

Another structure of the present invention receives multi-valued color image data and generates a binary image pattern,
In a color image recording apparatus for recording, 2 for each color
Detachable external storage means for storing the binarized pattern, holding means for holding the correspondence between the binarized pattern stored for each color in the external storage means and the recording density of each color,
The storage unit includes a binary pattern held by the holding unit and a recording unit for recording a color image according to the recording density of each color.

[0008]

In such a structure, the address of the binarization pattern stored in the detachable external storage means for storing the binarization pattern for each of a plurality of colors is stored for each color, and the address of each color is stored. , 2 corresponding to the recording density of each color
It operates to capture a digitized pattern and record a color image.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. <Description of Apparatus Configuration> FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the color image recording apparatus in this embodiment. In the figure,
A color image recording apparatus main body 1 receives multi-valued color image data from a host computer, which will be described later, and from the image data, four colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). This is a color image recording apparatus for generating a binary image pattern for each and recording an image by superposing these four color patterns on a recording sheet. The color image data processed by the color image recording apparatus in this embodiment is composed of various commands such as commands for instructing recording of characters and figures, commands for specifying colors, and various data following each command. To do. Also, the color to be recorded can be specified for each character and figure.
The designated color is given in RGB.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a host computer as an information generating source, which supplies color image data to the color image recording apparatus in this embodiment. A CPU 3 controls the color image recording apparatus main body 1 in accordance with a program stored in a program ROM described later. A reception buffer 4 temporarily stores the color image data sent from the host computer 2. A program ROM 5 is a memory for storing a program having the algorithm shown in FIG. 2 which is executed by the CPU 3 when controlling the color image recording apparatus main body 1.

A frame memory 6 includes Y, M, C,
This is a memory that holds a binary image pattern generated for each color of K. A color image output unit 7 records an image according to a binary image pattern for each color of Y, M, C and K held in the frame memory 6. Reference numeral 8 denotes a binarization pattern pointer table (storage area) in which addresses Y, M, which indicate the start position of the binarization pattern group of each color used when generating a binary image pattern, It is stored for each color of C and K. The size of the table for each color corresponds to the density value of YMCK converted to reproduce the colors represented by RGB in the image data.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a ROM area, which is a storage area for a binarized pattern built in the color image recording apparatus main body 1.
The binarized pattern handled by the color image recording apparatus of this embodiment has a fixed size of 8 × 8 dots for each color. 10
Is a card for supplying a binary pattern from the outside (2
It is a valuation pattern supply card) and is connected to the main body 1 by inserting it into the expansion card slot of the main body 1. Inside it, Y, M,
A binary pattern of each of C and K, information for identification, and the like are stored.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the binary pattern supply card 10. As shown, this card 10
Stored are card identification information 21, a pattern number (gradation number) 22 per color, and Y, M, C, and K patterns 23 to 26 arranged in ascending order of ON dots. And these pieces of information are viewed from the CPU 3,
It can be accessed as if it is arranged in a continuous address space, starting from a fixed address.

Here, the card identification information 21 is 1-byte information, and in the case of the binarized pattern supply card 10, its value is "1". Further, it is assumed that the number of patterns (the number of gradations) per color is “64”.
The binary patterns 23 to 26 stored in the card 10 have the same size as the built-in binary pattern, that is, a pattern of 8 × 8 dots.

<Explanation of Processing Operations> Image recording processing in the present embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.
Will be explained. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the initialization process performed when the color image recording apparatus according to this embodiment is turned on or reset.

First, in step S11, among the binarized patterns built in the main body 1, for each color of Y, M, C and K, the address indicating the position of the leading pattern is shown in FIG. It is set in the binarization pattern pointer storage area 8. Next, in step S12, it is determined whether or not an expansion card is mounted. If the expansion card is mounted, the process proceeds to step S13, and if not, the process proceeds to step S15.

In step S13, it is checked whether or not the expansion card is mounted and the card is the above-mentioned binary pattern supply card 10. Specifically, the card identification information 21 in the expansion card is checked, and if the value is "1", it is the binarization pattern supply card 10, and if it is other than "1", it is another card. Recognize. If it is determined that the expansion card attached is not the binarization pattern supply card 10, the process proceeds to step S15. If it is determined that the card is the binary pattern supply card 10, the process proceeds to step S14.

In step S14, an address indicating the position of the leading pattern of each color of the binary pattern existing in the mounted binary pattern supply card 10 is stored in the binary pattern pointer shown in FIG. Set in area 8. That is, when the binarized pattern supply card 10 is mounted, the pointer for each color in the binarized pattern pointer storage area 8 shown in FIG. 1 points to the pattern in the card 10 at this stage. .

In step S15, all initialization processing other than the above-mentioned processing, for example, initialization processing for analyzing data, initialization processing of the frame memory 6 or the reception buffer 4 shown in FIG. The initialization process ends. Next, the pointer to the head of the binarized pattern of each color set by the above-mentioned initialization processing is used in the drawing processing as follows.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the flow of the drawing process in this embodiment. When drawing a character or a figure, first in step S21, the color specification values (RGB format) specified for the drawing symmetry to be drawn are set to the YMCK density values y, m,
c, k (the range of each value is 0 to 63).

Next, in step S22, the address to the head of the binarized pattern of each color is read from the binarized pattern pointer storage area 8, respectively, and the subsequent step S23.
Then, the address to the binarized pattern corresponding to the density value of each color of ymck is calculated. Here, if the address of the binarized pattern to be obtained is Px and the address of the leading binarized pattern of each color stored in the binarized pattern pointer storage area 8 is qx, Px is obtained by the following formula. To be

Px = qx + (8 × D) D: Density value of each color of ymck (0 to 33) 8: Number of bytes occupied by one pattern After that, the process proceeds to step S24, and drawing symmetry (character / figure / other) Accordingly, a drawing symmetrical pattern is created, and the pattern and the binarized pattern of each color obtained in step S22 are overlapped and the result is stored in a location corresponding to the recording position of the frame memory 6.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
When a binarized pattern supply card is installed in the main body of the color image recording apparatus, a binary color image pattern is generated using the binarized pattern in the card, and the binarized pattern supply card is When it is not attached, a binary color image pattern can be generated and recorded by using the binary pattern built in the apparatus body.

<Modification> In the above-described embodiment, the format of the color designation value in the color image data supplied from the host computer is specified as RGB, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to use YMCK or another color system. Further, the present invention is not limited to the size of the binary pattern or the number of gradations per color. For example, the size of the binarized pattern is 16 × for each color.
The size is 16 dots, and the binary pattern pointer table 8 shown in FIG. 1 stores pointers to the binary patterns corresponding to the density values of 0 to 255 for each color of YMCK. Then, the binarized pattern supply card 10 is configured as shown in FIG. 5, and the number of patterns (the number of gradations) per color is set.
52 is "256", and the binarized patterns 53 to 56 stored in the card have the same size as the built-in binarized pattern, that is, a pattern of 16 * 16 dots.

In the above configuration, the binary pattern built in the main body 1 has only 64 gradations for each color, but the density value of each color of YMCK is 256 from 0 to 255.
Processing is performed with gradation values, and each pattern is associated with each of these 256 gradations. That is, the pattern having the lowest density (all dots are OFF) is made to correspond to the density values of 0 to 3, and the pointers to the patterns are stored in the 0th to 3rd of the pointer table of each color. Keep it. Similarly, the same pattern is assigned to each of the four densities, and 0 to 25
64 patterns are made to correspond to the 256 densities of 5.

When a binary pattern supply card is mounted as an expansion card, which binary pattern in the binary pattern supply card is used for each density value (0 to 255) of each color of YMCK. It is determined whether to correspond and the pointers indicating the positions of the patterns are set in the binarized pattern pointer table. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the binarization pattern pointer table described above. As shown in the figure, when the card is not installed, the address indicating the storage position of the 64 gradation pattern is set for each color of YMCK in the built-in binarized pattern, and the card is installed. If so, the address of the 256 gradation pattern corresponding to each color in the card is set.

As described above, when the binarization pattern supply card is mounted, the binarization pattern pointer table for each color is set in accordance with the number of gradations of the binarization pattern in the card, so that a large number of bins are provided. By using the gradation binarization pattern supply card, it is possible to increase the number of gradations of the binarization pattern when the binary image pattern is generated.
The present invention may be applied to a system including a plurality of devices or an apparatus including 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.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The binarization pattern can be changed without increasing the storage capacity of the main body, and the gradation number of each color can be increased as needed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a color image recording apparatus in this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the binarized pattern supply card of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of initialization processing executed by a CPU 3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a drawing process executed by a CPU 3 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a binary pattern supply card in a modified example.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a binary pattern pointer table in a modified example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Color Image Recording Device Main Body 2 Host Computer 3 CPU 4 Reception Buffer 5 Program ROM 6 Frame Memory 7 Color Image Output Section 8 Binary Pattern Pointer Storage Area 9 Binary Pattern (Built-in) Storage Area 10 Binary Pattern Supply Card

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Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. Receiving multi-valued color image data, 2
In a color image recording apparatus for generating and recording a value image pattern, a detachable external storage means for storing a binarized pattern for each of a plurality of colors, and a binarized pattern stored in the external storage means. From the address storing means for storing the address for each color and the address of each color stored in the address storing means,
A color image recording apparatus comprising: a recording unit that acquires a binarized pattern corresponding to the recording density of each color and records a color image. 2. Receiving multi-valued color image data, 2
In a color image recording apparatus for generating and recording a value image pattern, a detachable external storage means for storing a binarized pattern for each of a plurality of colors, and a binary value stored for each color in the external storage means. Holding means for holding the correspondence between the digitized pattern and the recording densities of the respective colors; and recording means for recording the color image according to the binarized pattern held by the holding means and the recording densities of the respective colors. Color image recording device.