JPH0844882A - Device and method for information processing - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To output a composited picture only by inputting a format original and a photograph. CONSTITUTION:The pictures of the format original 1 and the photograph, etc., whose formats are designated are read by a scanner 102, and stored in a RAM 104. The compositing processing of the images of the format original 1 and the photograph whose formats are designated is performed by using stored information and a control program stored in a ROW 103, etc. The picture to which the compositing processing is applied is outputted by using a printer 109.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method for controlling a print result by reading a format by an optical scanner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the following structure has been used to process an image obtained from an optical reading device.

As a means for easily obtaining a new image output from an original image, an electrophotographic device (hereinafter referred to as a copying machine) is available. Copiers are usually provided with scaling such as enlargement / reduction of originals to the same size, and recently, there are color copiers that can obtain color output from color originals. In recent high-function copiers, intermediate processing is converted to digital data, and image data is scaled by software such as enlargement / reduction. In color copiers, color conversion, masking, and trimming from the original image are performed. Processing etc. These processes are performed using a pen by a tablet or the like built in the color copying machine. Further, many of these digitized copying machines can directly receive image data from an information processing device such as a personal computer and output it as a printed matter.

Recently, personal computers (hereinafter PC) and Japanese word processors (hereinafter WP) have become very popular.
Also in the information processing apparatus represented by (1), an optical image reading apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a scanner) is increasingly connected. A scanner is connected to these information processing devices, an image is read from the scanner, the image is read into a PC or WP main body as data, and the captured image data is converted into various images by an image processing system configured by software, and a display device is displayed. Is displayed on the screen or is output as a printed matter from the printing device. Further, various settings are often made by the user for image processing by software means on the main body. This setting includes image scaling processing, color conversion processing, trimming processing, and the like. Furthermore, arbitrary characters, figures, illustrations, etc. can be added to the image data read by the scanner on the PC or WP by the user's setting or operation, and the added form can be output.

[0005] In addition, a photo-paste type postcard typified by a New Year's card with a photo can be used for a user's favorite photo, and it is very easy to make a high-quality photo at the photo level. It has become quite popular as it has been used in a wide variety of ways, such as wedding greetings, contact for moving, birthday celebrations for children, and Christmas cards.

[0006]

However, the above-mentioned conventional example has the following problems.

1. When using a copying machine, processing such as trimming and masking and image processing need to be completed at the stage of the original, and a completed original is required. In other words, it is effective when making a plurality of completed manuscripts, but the original manuscript cannot be created using a copying machine.
Therefore, in order to create a completed manuscript, a device such as a Japanese word processor is required separately.

2. Digital color copiers and color printers connected to PCs require image processing software on the PC side, and if you do not know how to use the software to perform image processing, you can perform image processing exactly as you want. I can't do it. Further, the set of the PC, the image processing software, the color printer and the digital color copying machine is very expensive, and there is a drawback that the user cannot use it easily.

3. If you connect a scanner to a PC or WP to capture an image and process it,
If the user is not familiar with how to use the PC / WP / image processing software, the desired result cannot be obtained and the trial and error process is repeated to create the image. In addition, recent image processing software has become extremely sophisticated and is capable of a wide variety of things, but on the contrary, this makes the user unusable,
Even if you are not satisfied with the results you want and you are unsatisfied, it is easy to give up.

4. In the photo sticker type postcard, you can choose from several types of dress-up formats and paste the photo of your choice, so there will be many of the same format, illustrations, characters, fonts and it will be completely different. Occasionally, the New Year's card that came from the place was the same except for the photo and the address, which sometimes made users uncomfortable.

[0011]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is an information processing apparatus having a function of synthesizing an image from information read by an optical scanner. A reading unit for reading an input format original having an area used in the form of an image and a format designation area of the input format original, and a combining process for combining images based on the input format original There is provided an information processing device comprising means and output means for outputting the combined image. In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is preferably such that the format designation area is a vertical writing designation, a horizontal writing designation,
Size of composite image, direction of composite image, composite position of composite image, presence / absence of rotation of composite image, direction of rotation of composite image, direction of scaling of composite image, ratio of scaling of composite image, composite image The image processing method includes at least one piece of information for specifying the color of the format area. In order to solve the above problems, the present invention preferably has a plurality of image areas corresponding to different color components after image processing, and an illustration area capable of generating an image by combining with the corresponding color components. It is characterized by having. In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is preferably characterized in that the image area has an illustration area generated in a single color.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is an information processing method having a function of synthesizing an image from information read by an optical scanner, and is an area used at least in the form of a current image. And an input format original having a format designation area of the input format original, an image synthesizing process is performed based on the input format original, and the synthesized image is output. I will provide a. In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is preferably such that the format designation area is
Vertical writing, horizontal writing, size of composite image, direction of composite image, composite position of composite image, presence / absence of rotation of composite image,
It includes at least one of a rotation direction of the composite image, a direction of scaling of the composite image, a scaling ratio of the composite image, an image processing method of the composite image, and color designation information of the format area. Characterize. In order to solve the above problems, the present invention preferably has a plurality of image areas corresponding to different color components after image processing, and an illustration area capable of generating an image by combining with the corresponding color components. It is characterized by having. In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is preferably characterized in that the image area has an illustration area generated in a single color.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a first embodiment which best represents the present invention. Reference numeral 1 is a format document to which the format designation method according to the present invention has been applied. Reference numeral 2 denotes a bar code area printed on the format original 1, which contains format specification information of this format original in the form of data. Reference numeral 3 is a mark sheet area of the 1-format original, and the user marks or checks the specified area with a recording means such as a pencil or a ballpoint pen in order to obtain the desired format specification of the user. Reference numeral 4 denotes a layout area of a 1-format original, which includes a first character area 41, a second character area 43, and an image combining area 42. Reference numeral 5 is a color-separated illustration designating area, which is divided into four sections. Each of the divided sections includes a first color designation area 51, a second color designation area 52, a third color designation area 53, and a fourth color designation area 54.

Next, the format original to which the format designation method according to the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 9, the same parts as those in FIG. 1 are given the same numbers. Reference numeral 1 denotes a format document to which the format designating method according to the present invention is applied, and at least a position 9 to which an illustration of the barcode area 2, the mark sheet area 3, the layout area 4 of the format document, and the color-separated illustration areas 5 and 5 is attached. It consists of The lines in the barcode area 2 are 4 dots, 10 dots, and 16 dots.
It is represented by the thickness of the type. Lines in 2 within the barcode area are, in order from the left, for every six lines, the number of dots in the X direction from the start point to the document area reference point, the number of dots in the Y direction from the start point to the document area reference point, and the document area reference point. To the image pasting start pointer, the number of dots in the Y direction from the original area reference point to the image pasting start pointer, the number of dots in the X direction from the original area reference point to the image pasting end pointer, The number of dots in the Y direction from the document area reference point to the image pasting end pointer, the number of dots in the X direction from the start point to the decomposed illustration pointer, the number of dots in the Y direction from the start point to the decomposed illustration pointer, and the X direction of the decomposed illustration The size is the number of dots in the X direction, the size of the decomposed illustration in the Y direction is the number of dots in the Y direction, one-point illustration position, and the image to be pasted is a photograph. Or illustrations in which the or shows an image processing information such as how to carry out the masking process.

In the mark sheet area 3, whether or not the trimming process is performed, the trimming range is designated, the characters of the document are designated, the mosaic is applied, the thin photo document process is performed, and the dark photo document process is performed. It is an area for marking or checking the format designation items desired by the user with a pencil, a ballpoint pen, or the like.

The color-separated illustration area 5 is divided into Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black) areas, each area having a size of 400 dots × 400 dots. is there. The size of the position 9 to which the illustration is attached is 400 dots × 400 dots. In the present embodiment, the size of the position 9 where the illustration is pasted is the same as the color-separated individual illustration area, but the size of the area may be different.

FIG. 2 shows a composite document 6 to be composited into a format designated by one format document. As the composite original, an existing original such as a photograph may be used, or characters and pictures created by an operator may be used.

FIG. 3 explicitly shows the area 7 in which the image is combined with the image combining area 42 in the combined document 6 of FIG.

FIG. 4 shows an output result 8 obtained by synthesizing the formatted original 1 and the photograph 6.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an information processing apparatus having a function of inputting a format original 1 having a format designation method according to the present invention, subjecting it to image synthesis processing, and outputting it.
Reference numeral 10 is an information processing apparatus main body, 105 is first switch means (hereinafter switch A), 106 is second switch means (hereinafter switch B), 107 is first display means (hereinafter LED).
-A) and 108 are second display means (hereinafter LED-B),
Reference numeral 121 is a guide device for inserting the format original 1. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the internal configuration of the information processing device 110. Reference numeral 102 denotes an optical image reading device (hereinafter referred to as a scanner) that reads information on the formatted document 1 by an optical means. The formatted document 1 is automatically conveyed by a unit (not shown), the entire formatted document is read, and the read signal is read. It has a function (not shown) that converts it into information that can be recognized by a digital circuit. Reference numeral 101 denotes a central information processing device (hereinafter CPU), which reads a program code or data from a read-only memory (hereinafter ROM) 103 and operates. The ROM 103 incorporates data and program code, and has the CPU 101 and the logic 120.
Controlled by. Reference numeral 104 denotes a readable / writable memory (hereinafter referred to as RAM), which is controlled by the CPU 101 or the like and holds data in a readable / writable form. Reference numeral 120 denotes a logic, which includes the CPU 101, the scanner 102, the printer 109, the ROM 103, the RAM 104, and the switch A10.
5, switch B106, LED-A107, LED-B
108 is controlled. 111 is a bus line, and CPU1
01, scanner 102, printer 109, ROM10
3, signals are exchanged between the RAM 104. The switch A 105 and the switch B 106 are respectively connected to the logic 120, and when the switch means is pressed by the user, the logic 120 detects the change in the signal. L
The ED-A 107 and the LED-B 108 are turned on or off under the control of the logic 120. Reference numeral 109 denotes a recording device (hereinafter, printer), which is controlled by the logic 120 and the CPU 101 and prints on a recording medium (not shown).

7 and 8 are flowcharts of the present invention, and the operation will be described with reference to these flowcharts.

When a power supply unit (not shown) of the information processing apparatus 110 is turned on, the information processing apparatus enters the start state of S701 in FIG. Next, when the formatted original 1 is set in the information processing apparatus 110, it is determined in the determination routine of S702 whether the original is set, it is determined that the original is set, and the LED-A lighting process of the next S703 is performed to perform the LED-A1.
07 is turned on to inform the user that it is determined that the document is set. Next, when the user presses the switch A 105, the logic 120 notifies the CPU 101 that the press has been detected, and it is determined in step S 704 that the switch A 105 has been pressed, and the process proceeds to the reading start in step S 705 and the LED-A is turned on. It informs the user that reading has started by blinking. The scanner 102 sequentially reads the information on the original in binary black and white while sequentially conveying the format original 1 by a paper conveying means (not shown), and the CPU 10
Send data to 1. The barcode of one format document is read and analyzed at three places.

Next, the data in the bar code area is read by the bar code area reading routine in S707, and S707 is read.
In the bar code area discrimination routine, the bar code area is discriminated whether the bar code area is valid or invalid.
25 error processing becomes LED-A107 and LED-
Both B108 are made to blink, and the format document 1 is discharged from the scanner 102 by the format document discharge routine of S723, and the process of S726 ends.

When the barcode area determination routine of S707 determines that the barcode area is valid, the next S7 is executed.
At 08, the bar code information acquisition routine analyzes the bar code data.

The processing in the bar code information analysis routine of S708 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The data of the barcode area determined to be a valid barcode in S707 of FIG. 7 is analyzed in content by the barcode information analysis routine of S802 of FIG. 8, and the composite document 6 read in S714 of FIG. The size of the composite image, the direction of the composite image, the composite position of the composite image, the presence or absence of rotation of the composite image, the direction of rotation of the composite image, the direction of zooming of the composite image, and the composite image. Read information such as the ratio of variable power. Next, when the scanner 102 conveys the format original 1 and reads the mark sheet designation area 3 of the format original 1 and the presence or absence of the mark sheet area in the format original 1 is not judged by the mark sheet area discrimination routine of S803, the format original 1 is further read.
Is transported and reads the layout designated area 4, and S804
The routine moves to the illustration designation area discrimination routine.

If it is determined in S803 that there is a mark sheet area, the process proceeds to the first character area determination routine in S810. If it is determined in S810 that there is, S81
The position of the first character area 1 and the color designation information of the first character area are read, and the process proceeds to the second character area determination routine of S820.

If it is determined in S810 that there is no first character area, the process proceeds to the second character area determination routine in S820. If it is determined in S820 that there is, S82
The position of the second character area 1 and the color designation information of the second character area are read, and the flow proceeds to the routine of the presence / absence determination routine of the special processing for the composite document in S830.

If it is determined in S820 that there is no second character area, the routine proceeds to S830 for the presence / absence determination routine of the special processing for the composite document. If it is determined in S830 that there is a special process, the process proceeds to the composition process content determination routine in S831, the process information is read in S831, and S80
Move to 4.

If it is determined in S830 that there is no special processing for the composite document, the process proceeds to S804.

When it is determined in the illustration designation area determination routine in S804 that there is an illustration designation area, the designation information in S805 is transferred to the reading routine, and when it is determined that there is no illustration designation area, the processing proceeds to S806.

In the designation information reading routine of S805, the illustration area designation information is read, and the process proceeds to S806.

In S806, the read information is set in the register means (not shown), and S807 ends.

In the layout area reading routine of S709 in FIG. 7, the layout designation area 4 of the format original 1 is sequentially read and the read data is stored in the RAM 104.
Set to.

It is determined that there is an illustration designation area based on the information obtained in the illustration designation area determination routine of S806, and if the information is set in the register means, the illustration designation area 5 of the format original 1 is determined by the information.
Read. Further, based on the illustration designation information read in S805 and set in S806, the first color designation area 51, the second color designation area 52, the third color designation area 53, and the fourth color designation area of the illustration designation area 5 are used. Based on the color information corresponding to each of the 54 images, the images obtained from the four designated areas are synthesized and generated in the 104 RAM. The position of the generated illustration is determined by the information obtained in S805.

When the reading of the illustration designation area 5 is completed, the format document reading end routine of S711 is started, and the LED-A 107 is blinked to notify the user that the format document reading process is completed. When the formatted document 1 that has been read is removed, S71
The process moves to the synthetic image readable routine of No. 2.

In the composite image readable routine of S712, the LED-A 107 is turned on to prompt the user to set the composite document, and the switch A of S713 is set.
The process moves to the 105 press detection routine.

When it is detected that the switch A105 is pressed in the switch A105 pressing detection routine of S713, S71
Then, the process proceeds to the composite image reading routine of No. 4.

The image information read by the scanner 102 in the composite image reading routine of S714 is combined in the image combining area 42 of the layout area 4. In the main combining process, a special special process such as a trimming process is performed on the basis of the information specified in the barcode area 2 and the mark sheet area 3, and the combined image is combined in the image combining area 42.

The photograph 6 shown in FIG. 2 is a composite original used in this embodiment.
The area on the photograph 6 to be combined with 2 is the combined area 7 in FIG. Therefore, the image included in the combining area 7 is developed on the image combining area 42 during the state of S714 of reading the combined document.

When the reading of the composite original 6 is completed, S71
The process proceeds to the reading end routine of No. 5 and the LED is sent in S715.
-A107 is turned off to notify the user that the reading of the composite original has been completed.

Next, when the composite original 6 is removed, S71
6 is set to the printable state. In this state, LED-B10 is used to inform the user that printing is possible.
8 is turned on, and the process proceeds to the printing paper set determination routine in S717.

When it is detected that the printing paper is set in the printing paper setting determination routine of S717, S718
The process shifts to the switch B106 pressing detection routine.

When it is detected in the S718 switch B106 pressing detection routine that the user has pressed the switch B106, it is judged that the printing start is specified by the user, and the process proceeds to the printing start routine of S719.

When printing is started, a transition is made to the state of printing in S720. In this state, the LED-B 108 is blinked to inform the user that printing is in progress.

At the time of printing, the first character region 41 and the second character region 43 are colored in the color designated by the information designated in the barcode region 2 and the mark sheet region 3 in the image designated in the layout region 4. To generate. As for the image combining area 42, since the combining area 7 obtained from the combining original 6 is generated on the RAM 104, this image is generated at the position of the image combining area 42 in the layout area. The illustration specified in the illustration specification area 5 is generated and printed based on the specified color information and position information. The output product printed by the above operation is as the output result 8 in FIG.

When the printing process is completed and the process proceeds to S721, S
722, LED-A107 and LED-B10
8 is turned off and the user is notified of the end of printing and the end of all image composition printing processing.

Finally, the print result 8 is discharged from the recording section in S723, and the whole processing of S726 is completed.

(Other Embodiments) In the first embodiment of the present invention, the format original 1 is formed in the order of the bar code area 2, the mark sheet area 3, the layout area 4 and the illustration area 5 as shown in FIG. Needless to say, this order is not fixed as described above, and the order can be changed in earnest.

Not all the bar code area, the mark sheet area, the layout area and the illustration area are indispensable. For example, the structure without the mark sheet area 3 or the illustration area 5 and the mark sheet area and the illustration area are not required. It is also clear that a configuration without both is possible.

Further, although the information processing apparatus having the scanner and the recording apparatus is mentioned in the first embodiment, the processing by the same original document is performed by the facsimile apparatus, the electrophotographic apparatus, the recording apparatus with the scanner, and the Japanese information having the scanner. It is also clear that the same procedure can be applied to a processing device or a computer.

[0052]

As described above, in an information processing apparatus having a function of synthesizing an image from information read by an optical scanner, an area used as the original image in a format original is used. Specify vertical writing, horizontal writing, size of composite image, direction of composite image, composite image composite position, presence / absence of composite image rotation, direction of composite image rotation, direction of scaling of composite image, composite image By setting the format of image synthesis by having a ratio of scaling, an image processing method of a composite image, and a format specification area containing at least one piece of color specification information of the format area, It has a great effect.

(1) When a copying machine is used, the original document for trimming, masking, and other image processing is complicated for the user simply by continuously inputting a format document and a composite image. A synthetic image can be generated without performing any processing.

(2) In a digital color copying machine or a color printer connected to a PC or the like, by adopting the format original according to the present invention, if the user is not familiar with how to use the image processing software, the basic image processing is performed. Since the settings are supplied as formatted manuscripts, some output results can be obtained without repeating trial and error.

(3) The format original of the present invention has a part which can be freely set by the user, and it is possible to make the most of the originality of the user. In addition, the same kind of postcard appears on the market, which causes discomfort. Less will be remembered.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a format original using the format designation of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a photograph used for image combination.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an area that is actually combined with a combination area in a photograph in which images are combined.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an output result synthesized by the format original of FIG. 1 and the photograph of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an information processing apparatus that reads a format document and outputs a composite image.

FIG. 6 is an internal block diagram of the information processing device.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart from reading a format document to outputting a print result.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for reading information from a barcode section, a mark sheet section, and an illustration area section.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a format original using the format designation of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 format original 2 bar code area 3 mark sheet area 4 layout area 5 illustration specification area 6 composite original 7 area combined in composite original 6 8 output result 41 first character area 42 image combining area 43 second character area 51 first color specification Area 52 Second color designation area 53 Third color designation area 54 Fourth color designation area 101 Central information processing device (CPU) 102 Optical image reading device (scanner) 103 Read only memory (ROM) 104 Read / write memory (RAM) 105 First Switch Means (Switch A) 106 Second Switch Means (Switch B) 107 First Display Means (LED-A) 108 Second Display Means (LED-B) 109 Recording Device (Printer) 110 Information Processor 111 Bus line 120 Logic

Front page continuation (72) Masayuki Takayama, 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Tadashi Tadashi, 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc.

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An information processing device having a function of synthesizing an image from information read by an optical scanner, wherein at least an area used in the form of a current image and a format designation of the input format original document. Information comprising: a reading unit for reading an input format original having an area; a combining processing unit for performing an image combining process based on the input format original; and an output unit for outputting the combined image. Processing equipment. 2. The format designation area includes vertical writing designation, horizontal writing designation, size of synthesized image, direction of synthesized image, synthesized position of synthesized image, presence / absence of rotation of synthesized image, direction of rotation of synthesized image, synthesis. Image scaling direction, composite image scaling ratio,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus includes at least one piece of information of a method for processing a composite image and color designation information of the format area. 3. An image processing apparatus having a plurality of image areas corresponding to different color components after image processing, and having an illustration area capable of generating an image by combining with the corresponding color components. The information processing device described. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image area has an illustration area generated in a single color. 5. An information processing method having a function of synthesizing an image from information read by an optical scanner, wherein at least an area used in the form of a current image and a format designation of the input format original document. An information processing method comprising: reading an input format original having a region, performing an image combining process based on the input format original, and outputting the combined image. 6. The format designation area includes vertical writing designation, horizontal writing designation, size of synthesized image, direction of synthesized image, synthesized position of synthesized image, presence / absence of rotation of synthesized image, direction of rotation of synthesized image, synthesis. Image scaling direction, composite image scaling ratio,
6. The information processing method according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the image processing method for the composite image and the color designation information of the format area is included. 7. The image processing apparatus has a plurality of image areas corresponding to different color components after image processing, and an illustration area capable of generating an image by combining with the corresponding color components. Information processing method described. 8. The information processing information according to claim 7, wherein the image area has an illustration area generated in a single color.