JPH08214172A - Image processing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To attain communication of image data efficiently in a data form proper to a communication destination. CONSTITUTION: A color image signal received from a scanner 100 is coded by coding sections 106-108 and a monochromatic image signal is coded by a coding section 109. Then the color image data coded by the coding sections 106-108 or the monochromatic image data coded by the coding section 109 are selected depending on a reception capability of image data of the communication destination and the selected data are outputted via a line control section 124.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing device for processing color image data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional facsimile machine is shown in FIG.

The image data read by the scanner 500 is input to the encoding unit 501 as an image data signal on the interface 508, and is stored as compressed data in the memory unit 503 according to a predetermined algorithm. The main control unit 509 sends this compressed data (encoded data) as transmission data to the line network 511 through the line control unit 510.

On the other hand, at the time of data reception, the compressed image data received from the line network 511 is stored in the memory unit 503 via the line control unit 510, and the decoding unit 506 instructs the raw image data ( The image data is decoded and output to the printer 507.

The facsimile machine performs the above-mentioned processing to perform transmission and reception processing of an image of a single color (usually black), but in recent years, an apparatus to which red or the like is added has also appeared. In this case, the scanner 500 has a function of distinguishing these two colors (having a filter for each color component), scans as red and black image data for each first line, and scans each color image. Is encoded by the encoding unit 501. Further, at the time of reception, the compressed data corresponding to these red and black are respectively decoded and the image is reproduced so as to be superimposed on one line.

[0006]

Facsimile apparatuses that have been widely used in the past can only send and receive monochrome (black and white) image data.

There is also known a technique of performing image communication with a device capable of receiving each image data as a color image as color image data and a monochrome image as monochrome image data.

However, there is a problem that the image data cannot be transmitted to the communication partner in an appropriate data format according to the image data receiving function of the communication partner.

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to efficiently communicate image data in a data format suitable for a communication partner.

Another object is to perform high-speed transmission processing in an apparatus capable of transmitting both color image data and monochrome image data.

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an image processing apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises a generation means for generating a color image signal and a monochrome image signal, and the color A first encoding unit that encodes an image signal, a second encoding unit that encodes the monochrome image-like signal, a confirmation unit that confirms a receiving capability of image data of a communication partner, and the confirmation. The color image signal encoded by the first encoding means and the monochrome image signal encoded by the second encoding means are selectively output according to the result confirmed by the means. And output means.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<Outline of Configuration (FIG. 1)> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the facsimile machine according to this embodiment.

In the figure, reference numeral 100 designates a document as R (red), G
The color scanners 101 to 104 for reading the (green) and B (blue) color components and the black (BK) component are the color components (R, G, and
B, BK) corresponding video signal, 105 a control line for controlling scanning, 106-109 an encoding unit for encoding a video signal for each color component, 110-114 each encoded video signal And an interface line between the memory unit and the memory unit. Reference numeral 115 is a main control unit for controlling the entire controller 148, 116 is a control line for controlling the encoding units 106 to 109, 117 is a control line for inputting / outputting video data to / from the memory unit, and 118 to 121 are for each color component. A transmission memory for storing the encoded video data of 122, a switching circuit for selecting a compressed video image of one color component when reading them to the line control unit 124, and 123 for transmitting the selected video data to the line control unit. An input interface line, 124 is a line control unit for controlling transmission of data to the line, and 125 is a line to which this device is connected.
Further, 126 is an input interface line for video data of a plurality of colors received from the line, 127 is a switching circuit for sequentially switching only one color of the plurality of video data into the memory, and 128 is a video data according to a predetermined procedure. Interface lines for controlling the transmission of or receiving from the line, 129 to 132 are receiving memories for accumulating the received video data for each color component, and 133 to 136 are inputting the video data corresponding to each color to the decoding circuit. Signal line, 137
Is a control line to the decoding unit, 138 to 141 are decoding units for converting each video data into raw image data, 142 is a control line for activating the printer, and 143 to 146 are decoded color components. A signal line for outputting data to the color printer 147.

<Description of Image Reading Process (FIG. 2)> The document image reading process in the above-mentioned configuration will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG.

From the color scanner 100, four kinds of video data of red (R), green (G), blue (B), and black (Bk) for the original image are supplied to the signal line 1 at the timing shown in FIG.
01 to 104, details of which will be described below.

That is, as shown in the figure, first, the vertical synchronizing signal indicating the effective data width from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the document rises, and then the line synchronizing signal indicating the effective width for each line also rises. Further, the video CLK indicating the timing of taking in one pixel of the video data is also transmitted. still,
These three signals are contained in control line 105 of FIG. Of course, the control line 105 includes other control lines such as statuses and interrupts for exchanging commands between the scanner and the printer, but these are not particularly related to the present invention, so the description thereof will be omitted.

Now, from the color scanner 100, video data (video R, G, B,
Bk) is transmitted in synchronization with the line sync signal, the controller 148 controls the R
The encoding unit 106 compresses and encodes the red / non-red data at a timing of the video CLK by a predetermined algorithm while storing the data through the signal line 110 in the R transmission memory 118, which is provided exclusively for red among the memory units. To do. The same applies to the other color components, which are coded at the same time and are dedicated to the G transmission memory 119 and the B transmission memory 12 respectively.
0, stored in the Bk transmission memory 121. Here, as an example of simultaneously accumulating data in different memory areas, data that is coded in parallel from the coding units 106 to 109 and comes out is, for example, high-speed DM of multi-channel.
This can be easily realized by processing using AC (Direct Memory Access Controller). By performing this operation for the entire period during which the vertical synchronization signal is valid, the encoding process for one page can be realized.

Therefore, since the encoding units 106 to 109 are provided for the respective color components and can operate in parallel at the same time, the processing time at this time is substantially the same as the normal encoding time of the monochrome facsimile. Are the same.

<Description of Transmission / Reception Processing (FIG. 3)> Now, the encoded data (compressed data) for each color component is the transmission memory 1.
After being stored in 18 to 121, the switching circuit 122 sequentially switches page by page and outputs the compressed image data to the line control unit 124 via the interface 123. FIG. 3 shows the flow of the transmitted data.

The line control unit 124 sets the red first line data R1, the second line data R2 ... The last line Rn to R.
The data is read from the transmission memory 118 and transmitted to the line 125. Following the transmission of the final line Rn, the command "EOF" indicating the end of transmission of one page of one color component
B "is transmitted, and this time the read target of the switching circuit 122 is set to the G transmission memory 120. Similarly, when transmitting the compressed data in the B transmission memory 120 and the BK transmission memory 121 at the end respectively. Send EOFB.

Next, the case of reception will be described.

The received data received via the line 125 has the format shown in FIG.
The protocol is analyzed, and only the image data is taken out by the exchange with the main control unit 115. Then, by switching the switching circuit 127 for each EOFB detection, the compressed data for each color component is converted into R reception memory 129, G reception memory 130, B reception memory 131, B
It is stored in the K reception memory 132. After that, when the main control unit 115 confirms the print ready by the control line 142 from the color printer 147, the control lines 137 activate the respective decoding units 138 to 141 to perform the decoding process for each color component. Is started to convert the compressed data into image data (video signal). Then, the signal lines 143-
Data is output to the color printer 147 through 146 to generate a visible image. Although not described, the color printer 147 in the embodiment is a full color reproduction ink jet printer and forms a visible image by simultaneously inputting video signals of respective color components (that is, a single color printer). The speed is substantially the same as the reproduction of a visible image of one color), but the details are omitted because it is outside the scope of the present invention.

Since the flow of image data is different from the case of normal monochrome facsimile transmission / reception, it is confirmed in advance whether or not multicolor image data can be handled by using the private parameters specified in the G4 facsimile protocol. Therefore, there is no particular problem of communication.

<Other Embodiment (FIG. 4)> As another embodiment, FIG. 4 shows an example of a structure for maintaining communication with a facsimile machine whose communication partner has only a monochromatic image processing function. That is, an OR gate 400 for generating a logical sum signal of the VIDEO signals of respective colors, a coding unit 401 for coding this signal, and its storage area D transmission memory 402 are added on the transmitting side. It is clear that by ORing the VIDEO signal, which is a signal with / without each color information, over all the signals, a signal almost equivalent to that when binary reading is performed in the panchromatic is reproduced. Further, since the background color of the original has a specific color component, it is conceivable to add an adjusting mechanism for cutting this color from the OR component. This is regarded as black / white information and is stored in the D transmission memory 402, and when the other party is a single-color facsimile in the negotiation of the protocol, only the data which is in the D transmission memory 402 is sent out by the normal transmission procedure. As a result, communication is possible without problems.

When received, a set of receiving memory 403 and a decoding unit 404, which is a decoding circuit, restores the raw reproduction image data and outputs it to a single color printer 406 to reproduce a single color picture. . It is obvious that the same function can be obtained by allocating the BK receiving memory 132 and the BK decoding unit 146 in FIG.

Furthermore, in the embodiment, the multicolor scanner is described as an example. However, the same effect can be obtained when a multivalue scanner for reading the light and shade is connected. This is because, for example, when this scanner outputs 4 bits (16 gradations), it can be achieved by assigning the encoding units 106 to 109 shown in FIG. 1 to each bit for processing.

[Description of Other Embodiments (FIGS. 6 and 7)
[Fig.] In addition, although the communication time is longer than that of a normal facsimile device that sends multiple image data on the line, IS
If a DN line is used, a plurality of channels can be used at the same time. Therefore, by assigning each image data to each of these channels, the communication time can be made equal to usual. At this time, it is necessary to determine the correspondence between each data and the channel by communication means.

Therefore, an example of adopting this ISDN line will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

Numerals 601 to 603 are data lines for each color of transmission data, 604 to 607 are data lines for each color of reception data, 608 is a line control section having an ISDN protocol,
Reference numeral 609 indicates an ISDN line.

700 is an I flowing on the ISDN line 609.
SDN data, 701 is each B channel and R, G, B, B
A timing chart showing an example in which each color data of K is associated, and 702 is a D channel used for control information.

As shown in FIG. 7, the compressed data corresponding to each color stored in the memory section is transmitted in time division by each channel on the ISDN line. When considered in color units, it is exactly the same as the normal transmission procedure. Each has the same transmission capacity as a fax machine with a performance of 64K bits / sec. Assign each color data and channel by using D channel, ISD
In order to check the available channels according to the N protocol, load EOFB in color units as shown in FIG.
There is no need for a unique mode such as sending pages collectively. The same applies to the next reception.

As described above, according to this embodiment, 1
Even when reading a plurality of component information for a pixel, it is possible to process at high speed from the reading to the encoding.

Also, at the time of reception, by having a plurality of image decoding units, it is possible to process a plurality of image data in the same time as a monochrome decoding process.

In particular, if the ISDN line is used, a plurality of channels can be used at the same time, so that the communication time can be made the same as the normal one.

[0036]

As described above, according to the image processing apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently communicate image data in a data format suitable for a communication partner.

Further, according to the image processing apparatus of the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to perform high-speed transmission processing in an apparatus capable of transmitting both color image data and monochrome image data.

[0038]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of a facsimile machine according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart of signals for each color component related to image reading by scanning in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a format of transmission data.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a facsimile machine according to another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a conventional facsimile machine.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the facsimile machine when applied to an ISDN line.

7 is a timing chart for explaining a data communication protocol in the configuration of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100 color scanner 106 to 109 encoding unit for each color component 118 to 121 transmission memory 122 and 127 for each color component switching circuit 129 to 132 decoding unit for each color component 147 Color printer.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A generator for generating a color image signal and a monochrome image signal, a first encoder for encoding the color image signal, and a second encoder for encoding the monochrome image signal. An encoding means; a confirmation means for confirming the receiving capability of the image data of the communication partner; and a color image signal encoded by the first encoding means according to the result confirmed by the confirmation means. And an output unit for selectively outputting the monochrome image signal encoded by the second encoding unit. 2. A first storage means for storing the color image signal encoded by the first encoding means, and a monochrome image signal encoded by the second encoding means. A second storage means, and the output from the output means selectively outputs the color image signal stored in the first storage means and the monochrome image signal stored in the second storage means. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein