JPH10134168A - Method and device for document and image composing process - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To print a document with a combined color photograph out speedily. SOLUTION: A document original is read by a scanner 10 and stored in a RAM 12 for image composition. A color photograph is scanned by several lines and stored in a RAM 16 for image processing, and an image processor 14 performs an image process (binarization for color correction, color tone conversion, and printing, etc.) in the RAM 16. After the image processing, an image composing device 18 transfers the processed data in the RAM 16 to the RAM 12 for image composition and puts them together with the document. Consequently, when the RAM 16 is emptied, next several lines of the color photograph are read in the RAM 16 through the scanner 10 and an image process is performed. Data on the composed part are transferred to a printer 24 through a RAM 20 for printing. The read by the scanner, image processing and composition, and printing are carried out in parallel.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for synthesizing a document and an image for synthesizing and outputting (for example, printing) a color image on a document.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a color image such as a photograph, such as a license, an identification card, and a passport, is captured by an image scanner and combined with a document manuscript to perform color printing, multi-color data is once obtained. Was read and converted into binary data, which is data in an output format, and then subjected to a combining process and printed out by a color printing apparatus.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, it is necessary to have all the input color data, and a huge work memory is required. In addition, it takes a long time from the start of input to the start of printing to start printing after all input and image processing are completed.

An object of the present invention is to solve such a problem and to provide a document / image synthesizing method and apparatus capable of starting output at a higher speed with a smaller memory capacity.

[0005]

A document / image combining method according to the present invention is a document / image combining method for combining a color image with a document and outputting the combined image. Each time, a predetermined amount of the color image is read into the image processing memory, subjected to predetermined image processing, and the image-processed image data stored in the image processing memory is read into the synthesizing memory and synthesized with the document. Output.

A document / image synthesizing apparatus according to the present invention comprises:
A document / image synthesis processing device that synthesizes and outputs a color image with a document, and a synthesis memory unit that stores the document,
An image processing means for reading a color image by a predetermined amount into the image processing memory means and performing predetermined image processing, and reading image processed image data stored in the image processing memory means into the synthesis memory means And a synthesizing means for synthesizing and outputting the document.

With such a configuration, since the synthesizing process is executed in parallel while reading a color photograph, a small memory capacity can be efficiently used and the synthesized result can be output at high speed.

[0008]

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

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 10 denotes an image scanner for reading an image of a format original, and 12 denotes an image synthesizing R for synthesizing a document synthesizing portion of the format original read by the scanner 10 and image data converted into a print format.
AM, 14 is an image processing device that performs binarization and instructed image processing (for example, color correction and conversion to oil painting) on input image data, and 16 is a few lines read by the scanner 10. The image processing RAM 18 for temporarily storing the full-color image data for the image processing of the image processing device 14, and converts the image data stored in the image processing RAM 16 processed by the image processing device 14 for image synthesis. An image synthesizing device for synthesizing with document data stored in the RAM 12. The image data combined by the image combining device 18 is stored in the image combining RAM 12 again.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a printing RAM for storing the data of the portion synthesized by the image synthesizing device 18 for printing;
Is a print instructing means for instructing the copying of the data of the portion synthesized by the image synthesizing device 18 to the printing RAM;
Is a printing device that prints out the portion stored in the printing RAM 20.

The above means 10 to 24 are connected to a bus 26 capable of mutually transferring data.

FIG. 2 shows a main flowchart of the processing procedure of this embodiment. First, a document is read by the scanner 10 in a black and white mode, that is, in a print format. The read document data is stored in the RAM 12 for image composition. Next, the reading process (S3), the image process (S4), and the combined data printing process (S5) of the photographic image to be combined with the document data are simultaneously activated.

FIG. 3 shows a detailed flowchart of the photograph reading process (S3). First, it is checked whether the image processing RAM 16 is empty (S11). If it is not empty, it means that the previous read data has not been combined and remains. If it is not empty, it waits until it becomes empty (S12, S11). RAM for image processing
When 16 becomes empty, image data for the number of lines that can be stored in the image processing RAM 16 is read from the scanner 10 (S13) and stored in the image processing RAM 16 (S1).
4). Until the reading of all the images of the photograph is completed (S1
5), S11 to S14 are repeated.

FIG. 4 shows a detailed flowchart of the image processing (S4 in FIG. 2). It is determined whether data has been stored in the image processing RAM 16 (S21). If no data has been stored, it is checked whether a print end command has been issued from the print command device 22 (S28). If a print end command has been issued (S28), the process ends. If not, the process waits (S29) and returns to S21.

When the data is stored in the RAM 16 for image processing (S21), the image processing device 14 sets the RA for image processing.
The image data of several lines stored in M16 is subjected to the specified image processing (for example, conversion such as color correction, oil painting and watercolor) (S22), and then to binary data which is print format data. The data is converted and overwritten on the image processing RAM 16 (S23). S22 and S23 are executed for all data stored in the image processing RAM 16 (S2
4). When the image processing and binarization are completed for all data stored in the image processing RAM 16 (S24), the image synthesizing device 18 stores the image data in the image synthesizing RAM 12 in which the document data is already stored. The data is synthesized (S25). Next, the image processing RAM 16 is cleared (S26), the completion of combining is notified to the print instruction device 22 (S27), and the process returns to S21. R for image processing by S26
Since the AM 16 becomes empty, the image reading process (S in FIG. 2)
3) starts reading the next data.

FIG. 5 is a detailed flowchart of the composite data printing process (S5). Waiting for notification to the print instruction device 22 (S31, S32), and if there is a notification (S31),
The combining end portion stored in the image combining RAM 12 is copied to the printing RAM 20 (S33). Next, R for printing
The data copied to the AM 20 is output to the printing device 24 (S34). Steps S31 to S34 are repeated until output of all data for one page is completed (S35). When printing of all data of one page is completed (S35), the print instruction device 22
Outputs a print end notification (S36).

Each of the processes (S3,
S4 and S5) are completed, and 1 is subtracted from the variable indicating the number of print copies. As a result, if the remaining number of print copies is zero, the entire process ends. If the number of print copies remains, all image synthesis has been completed. For the second and subsequent copies, only the synthesized data print processing (S5) is started, and the RA for image synthesis is started.
All data of M are printed out at once, and the process is repeated until printing of all the data is completed.

[0018]

As can be easily understood from the above description, according to the present invention, a high-quality printout can be performed with a small memory at high speed while synthesizing a full-color image with character information.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a main process according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a detailed flowchart of S3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a detailed flowchart of S4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a detailed flowchart of S5 in FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 10: Image Scanner 12: Image Compositing RAM 14: Image Processing Device 16: Image Processing RAM 18: Image Compositing Device 20: Printing RAM 22: Printing Instruction Means 24: Printing Device 26: Bus

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A document / image synthesizing method for synthesizing a color image with a document and outputting the same, wherein the document is stored in a synthesizing memory, and the color image is read by a predetermined amount into the image processing memory. A document / image synthesizing method characterized by performing predetermined image processing, reading image-processed image data stored in the image processing memory into the synthesizing memory, synthesizing with a document, and outputting. 2. The document / image synthesizing method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined image processing includes conversion into an output format. 3. A document / image synthesizing processing apparatus for synthesizing a color image with a document and outputting the synthesized image, wherein a synthesizing memory means for storing the document and a predetermined amount of the color image are read into the image processing memory means. Image processing means for performing predetermined image processing; and synthesizing means for reading image-processed image data stored in the image processing memory means into the synthesizing memory means, synthesizing the image data with the document, and outputting. A document / image synthesis processing device characterized by the following. 4. The document / image composition processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined image processing includes conversion into an output format.