JPH09181912A - Image processor and print system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an error between the size of a printed image and the size of a print medium by conducting size conversion in matching with a size of the print medium on which an image after conversion is printed out in the conversion of the print size such as magnification or reduction in a printer. SOLUTION: In the size conversion processing conducted in a series of image data processing, the size of image data before magnification expressed substantially in number of pixels is converted into a size expressed in a print medium such as mm or inch (s109), the size after magnification is calculated with a designated magnification from the converted size (s110). The after magnification size obtained as a result is converted into size in the unit of pixels (sill) and magnification processing is conducted based on the converted size (s112, s113).

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 a printing system using the apparatus, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus for performing image size conversion and a printing system using the apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a process of enlarging and printing an image in a printer or the like, a method of printing an original image to a desired size by an optical means using a zoom lens or the like, and printing using the obtained data, a scanner or the like. The method of enlarging the digitized image that is read in by the size shown in the unit of pixels (hereinafter also referred to as pixels) included in the header of the image data file and then printing based on the processed data is adopted. It was being done.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the method of obtaining output data by optical enlargement using a zoom lens or the like has a problem that if the size after enlargement exceeds the reading ability, the amount beyond that is exceeded. It cannot be read, so it will be read separately. As a result, there has been a problem that a seam process and a process for uniformizing the color are newly required.

Further, when the image data read by a scanner or the like is enlarged by a software means, when the image data is enlarged to a desired size,
The specified magnification is generally the “pixel size” of the read image
Then, the enlargement processing is performed so that the pixel size becomes the "pixel size" obtained by multiplying by. On the other hand, in the case of printing a large screen such as a poster, the size of the poster is generally determined by measuring the size of the poster or the like with a length such as mm and determining the magnification. For this reason, the print result may not reach a desired size and dimension even if the enlargement ratio in the measurement size is used as it is. This is because the number of pixels is changed when finally obtaining the pixel size of the enlarged image data, but this change causes a difference between the pixel size and the enlarged size of the image actually read. is there. In such a case, when pasting a printed poster, it is not possible to obtain a predetermined size, and it is necessary to perform work such as size matching.

By the way, a technique of forming an image on a cloth by using a recording apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as "textile printing"). In particular, those using an inkjet method of ejecting ink to form an image on a print medium can be printed without making a plate like conventional screen printing,
It has the advantage that it can be printed on various fabrics by using an appropriate ink depending on the type of fabric,
It can be said that it is an effective textile print. According to this textile printing, it is possible to make a fabric on which continuous images are printed by repeatedly printing a predetermined image on a long fabric.

Even in the textile printing in which the relatively small basic image is repeatedly and continuously printed out as described above, the above-mentioned enlargement size deviation in the basic image is accumulated by the repetition and becomes a large deviation, and the specified size is obtained. In some cases, inconvenience such as an odd image remained when cutting and pattern matching was performed.

As described above, in the image resizing according to the above-mentioned conventional example, there are problems in each of the optical method, the software method and the similar hardware method.
There is a problem that it is difficult to change the size according to the actual size.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to perform image processing capable of converting an image size in accordance with the size of a print medium on which printing is performed. To provide an apparatus and a printing system.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided:
In an image processing apparatus that performs size conversion processing of image data, a unit conversion unit that converts the size of the image data represented by the size information included in the image data into a size of a length unit, and a size obtained by the conversion of the unit conversion unit. A conversion size calculating means for multiplying by and a ratio to obtain a size after conversion,
Based on the unit inverse conversion means for converting the size after conversion obtained by the conversion size calculation means into the size represented by the unit of the size information, and the size obtained by the unit inverse conversion means and the size represented by the size information. And a conversion processing means for enlarging or reducing the image data.

Further, in a print system for printing on a print medium, there are a printing device for printing and an image processing device for performing size conversion processing of image data, and the image data represented by size information included in the image data. Unit conversion means for converting the size of the unit into a size of a length unit, a conversion size calculation unit for multiplying the size obtained by the conversion of the unit conversion unit by a scale factor to obtain a converted size, and a conversion obtained by the conversion size calculation unit. A unit inverse conversion unit that converts the subsequent size into a size represented by the unit of the size information, and enlargement or reduction of the image data based on the size obtained by the unit inverse conversion unit and the size represented by the size information. An image processing apparatus having a conversion processing unit for performing processing is provided.

According to the above configuration, when enlarging or reducing the image data using a predetermined magnification, first, the size information is used to determine, for example, the size of the print medium when printing based on the image data. After converting to the size of the indicated length unit, after obtaining the converted size using the above magnification, and further converting this size back to the size of the unit of the original size information, the image data is enlarged or reduced. The size of the print image based on the magnified image data may match the size of the print medium.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a print system to which the present invention is applied.

As shown in the figure, the system of this embodiment comprises a host computer 100 and peripheral devices including a printer 101. The host computer 100
Information reading 100A, size conversion 100 described in detail below
B, enlargement processing C and length unit designation / magnification designation 100
Each processing unit of d is included. More specifically, these processing units exist as software as a part of the processing executed by the host computer 100.

The image data to be printed by the printer 101 is formed by subjecting the image data stored in the disk 103 or the image data read by the scanner 102 to the processing described below in the host computer 100. The terminal 104 is used to input the above-mentioned image processing parameters in the host computer 100.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the procedure of the size conversion processing 100B performed by the host computer 100 as a part of the image processing.

In FIG. 2, first, the selection of the image format of the image to be printed is detected by the input state of the terminal (s100), and when it is judged that there is no particular selection (s101), the default format is set (step S101). s102). Next, the input of the file name in the terminal is detected (s103), the file header is read according to the previously selected format, and the image information is acquired (s104). The information includes the image size and the resolution, but when it is determined that the resolution information is not included (s105), the resolution is acquired through the terminal (s
106).

Next, the selection of the length unit that serves as a reference when the enlargement process is performed by the terminal is detected (s107). The unit selected here is a general unit used in daily life, such as millimeters or inches. Then, an input is input from the terminal about, for example, the enlargement ratio of the image data to be multiplied (s108). After inputting the enlargement ratio, the original image obtained from the disc 103 or the scanner 1
For the original image read by 02, step s107
The image size is obtained by the length unit detected in (s109). That is, the image size read in step s104, that is, the image size represented by the number of pixels (hereinafter, also referred to as pixels) and the resolution information read in the same manner are converted into the image size in the detected length unit. . By multiplying this by the input enlargement ratio, the image size after enlargement is calculated in the set length unit (s1
10). This is again converted back to the pixel unit by using the resolution (s111), and the pixel ratio, which is the ratio before and after the enlargement according to the pixel size, is obtained (s112).

Next, a software enlargement process of the image data is performed (s113). A known method can be used as the soft enlargement method. Here, the linear enlargement as an example thereof is shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 and FIGS.
Will be described with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG.

The basic idea when linearly enlarging an original image as shown in FIG. 4 is, for example, that (X, Y) pixels are (X +
Interpolated pixels having continuous colors are inserted so that smooth continuity is maintained between adjacent pixels such as the pixel of (1, Y). The method is as shown in FIG.
Consider a two-dimensional array in which four pixels of each pixel are arranged at four corners.
Here, the size of the array depends on the number of interpolation pixels to be inserted vertically and horizontally, but this number of pixels is calculated from the set enlargement ratio and the total number of insertions is obtained, and this is distributed among the original pixels so as to be as uniform as possible. It is not fixed because it is obtained by the fact that it is different depending on the position of the read row and column, and is obtained in the vertical and horizontal directions. This is calculated by the coordinate value of the pixel and the pixel ratio described above.

After confirmation of the enlargement command, the pixel ratio is read and the enlargement processing shown in FIG. 3 is started. First, two lines are determined from the image size as a basic data unit of image processing as shown in FIG. 5, and a memory for reading this data is secured (s200). Next, the first line of the image data is read (s201), and thereafter, until it is determined that the processing has not been completed for the entire image data (s20).
2) Each time the processing of each row is updated, one row of image data is read and pixel data for two rows is secured (s20).
3). After that, the two rows are sequentially scanned in the X coordinate direction (s204), and the scanning is shifted by one row (s214), and the new coordinates are calculated based on the pixel ratio as described in FIG. Then, the number of inserted rows and columns is calculated from this new coordinate to determine the size of the two-dimensional array (s206), and the output buffer memory for that amount is secured (s207).

When the processing relating to the determination of the enlargement size is completed, the interpolation calculation is executed as follows.

That is, the above-mentioned four-point data is read (s208), and while sequentially shifting the read points in the row and column directions (s209, s210), each interpolation data is obtained by the following formula (s211). , Are stored in the output buffer (s212).

In this calculation, the 4-point data is used as it is, but the other interpolated pixels are calculated from the 4-pixel data. First, the interpolation method is calculated so that the difference between the data of adjacent pixels in this two-dimensional array becomes substantially uniform.
The calculation is obtained by proportional weighting, and four points (upper left, upper right,
The lower left and lower right data are a (k, l), a (k
+ 1, l), a (k, l + 1), a (k + 1, l + 1)
And the secondary array size is horizontal x + 1 and vertical y + 1, 2
The interpolation data h (m, n) of the coordinates (m, n) in the next array is obtained by the following formula.

H (m, n) = n {m * a (k + 1, l + 1) + (xm) * a (k, l + 1)} +
(yn) {m * a (k + 1, l) + (xm) * a (k, l)} / x * y 0 ≦ m ≦ x, 0 ≦ n ≦ y After writing the data to the output buffer memory (s212) and completing the data calculation of this secondary array, the next 4 images for one pixel in the input buffer data are read and the same secondary array data calculation is input again. Perform up to the end of the buffer (s209, s21
0). Then, the output data which has been written for one cycle is externally output (s213). Here, row shift of the input buffer is performed (s214), and the same 1
The process from the reading of the lines is repeated until the reading of all lines of the image is completed (s202). The above processing is similarly performed for each of the three colors of R, G, and B in the full-color image, and the soft enlargement processing is completed.

The processing relating to the size conversion of the image data is completed as described above, and then the memory buffer 1 of the printer 101 is completed.
The data is transferred to 01A and stored in the form shown in FIG. 7 (s114 in FIG. 2). In this data transfer procedure, the transfer operation is confirmed by individually receiving the confirmation code by the shake hand, and the image attributes of the file name, image size (vertical and horizontal pixel numbers) are sequentially transferred, and then continued. To transfer the image data. On the other hand, the printer 10
In 1, the image data of the capacity defined by the image size data is received, the confirmation code is finally returned, and the data transfer is completed. Other attributes are transferred by another instruction command. After the image data transfer is completed, the print operation is executed (s1
15) After outputting all the image data, all the operations are finished.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the example of enlarging an image has been described, but the present invention is not limited to the enlargement of an image and can be applied to the reduction of an image.
In the following, an example of performing reduction processing by simple average will be described.

The reduction processing will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

The scanning start Y coordinate of the pre-reduction image coordinate is initialized by the pixel ratio obtained as described above (s30).
0). Then, until it is determined that the processing of all the image data as shown in FIG. 9 is completed (s301), Y
Until it is determined that the processing of the coordinate direction is completed (s3
02), the Y coordinate of each row of the original image is calculated by the pixel ratio to obtain the Y coordinate on the reduced image (s303). This value is compared with the scanning start Y coordinate (s304), and if they are equal, +1 is added to the number of read lines (s305), and when they are equal, an input buffer for the number of read lines is secured (s306),
Data is read from the original image (s307). The Y coordinate of the scanning start is updated to the Y coordinate value of the original image at this point, and the process proceeds to the next process (s308). The scanning start X coordinate and the reduced pixel number of the input buffer having the contents shown in FIG. 10 are initialized (s309, s
310), after securing the output buffer memory area shown in FIG. 11 (s311), the new image X coordinate is initialized (s3).
12). Next, until it is determined that the processing in the X coordinate direction is completed (s313), the reduced image X coordinate is calculated from the input buffer X coordinate by the pixel ratio (s31).
4) Compare with the X coordinate of the new image (s315), and if equal, add 1 to the number of reduced pixels (s316). When the calculation results are equal, the sum of the pixel data corresponding to the minimum number of pixels in the input buffer is calculated (s317), the average value is calculated (s318), and the corresponding point of the new image X coordinate in the output buffer is then calculated. This value is stored in (s319). Next new image X
After updating the coordinates (s320) and initializing the reduced pixel number (s)
321), continue scanning the next pixel in the input buffer. After the scanning of the input buffer is completed, the data in the output buffer is output to the external memory or the external file having the contents shown in FIG. 12 (s322). The above procedure is performed for the entire area of the original image, and the reduction processing ends.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the image data is enlarged or reduced using a predetermined magnification, first, the size information is printed, for example, based on the image data. Is converted to a size in the length unit representing the size of the print medium, then the converted size is obtained using the above magnification, and this size is converted back to the size of the unit of the original size information to obtain the image data. Since the enlargement or reduction is performed, the size of the print image based on the enlarged image data can be made to match the size of the print medium.

As a result, for example, it is possible to easily specify the magnification in accordance with an object having a large dependent element on the size unit such as a poster or wallpaper of a room, and also in the actual size matching, the size matching is performed without a unit conversion error. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a print system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure of size conversion processing according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing details of enlargement processing in the processing shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing original image data handled in the enlargement processing.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the contents of an input buffer used in the enlargement process.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a concept of the enlargement processing.

FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing image data after enlargement by the enlargement processing.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing details of reduction processing according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing original image data handled in the reduction processing.

FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the contents of an input buffer used in the reduction processing.

FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing the contents of an output buffer used in the reduction processing.

FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing the image data after the reduction processing.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100 Host Computer 101 Printer 102 Scanner 103 Disk 104 Terminal Device

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An image processing apparatus for performing size conversion processing of image data, comprising unit conversion means for converting the size of the image data represented by the size information of the image data into a size of a length unit, and the unit conversion means. A conversion size calculating means for multiplying the size obtained by the conversion by a scaling factor to obtain a converted size; and a unit inverse conversion means for converting the converted size obtained by the conversion size calculating means into a size represented by the unit of the size information. An image processing apparatus comprising: a conversion processing unit that performs enlargement or reduction processing of the image data based on the size obtained by the unit inverse conversion unit and the size represented by the size information. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the size represented by the size information is a size represented by a pixel unit in image data. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the length unit is a metric unit or an inch unit. 4. A printing system for printing on a printing medium, comprising: a printing device for printing; and an image processing device for performing size conversion processing of image data, wherein the image data represented by size information included in the image data. Unit conversion means for converting the size of the unit into a size of a length unit, a conversion size calculation unit for multiplying the size obtained by the conversion of the unit conversion unit by a scale factor to obtain a converted size, and a conversion obtained by the conversion size calculation unit. A unit inverse conversion unit that converts the subsequent size into a size represented by the unit of the size information, and enlargement or reduction of the image data based on the size obtained by the unit inverse conversion unit and the size represented by the size information. An image processing apparatus having: a conversion processing unit for performing processing; Theft system. 5. The printing system further comprises length unit setting means for setting the length unit, resolution input means, and magnification input means, and the unit conversion means sets the resolution input by the resolution input means. The printing system according to claim 4, wherein the conversion is performed based on the conversion, and the conversion size calculation unit uses the magnification input by the magnification input unit. 6. The printing system according to claim 4, wherein the size represented by the size information is a size represented by a pixel unit in image data. 7. The printing system according to claim 4, wherein the length unit is a metric unit or an inch unit.