JPH11150647A - Image processor, its method and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processor of high performance capable of optionally connecting even original images to each other having different resolutions to provide an image processing method and a storage medium. SOLUTION: An image processor for processing stored images is provided with a storage part 3 for storing plural images having two or more resolutions, a resolution comparing/selecting part 4 for comparing the resolutions of plural images and selecting one prescribed resolution, a resolution conversion part 5 for setting up the plural images to the prescribed resolution and an image combining part 6 for combining the plural images set up to the prescribed resolution.

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, an image processing method, and a storage medium for controlling the image processing apparatus. The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus capable of receiving and recording data as described above, a method used in the apparatus, and a storage medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of image processing apparatus, there has been known a facsimile apparatus having a function of recording a desired size by combining a plurality of received images at the time of receiving and recording.

[0003]

However, in the case of the above-mentioned prior art, images having different resolutions at the time of reading cannot be combined and recorded.

On the other hand, it is common to send a fax by attaching a report image such as a character to an image image such as a photograph, and in such a case, in such a case, an image image such as a photograph and a report image such as a character are transmitted. Is usually sent at a different resolution. For this reason, on the receiving side, no matter how small the report image or image image is, or even if it is desired to combine them in terms of layout, the receiving and recording must be performed separately, and the recipient must record the data separately. There is a problem that useless recording paper is consumed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. It is an object of the present invention to provide a high-performance image processing apparatus capable of arbitrarily combining original images having different resolutions. , An image processing method and a recording medium.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus for processing a stored image, comprising a plurality of images having two or more resolutions. Storage means for comparing the resolutions of the plurality of images and selecting one predetermined resolution; resolution conversion means for aligning the plurality of images to the predetermined resolution; and Combining means for combining a plurality of images having the same resolution.

[0007] It is also preferable that the apparatus further comprises a receiving means for receiving an image from a communication line, and the storage means stores a plurality of images received by the receiving means.

It is also preferable that the apparatus further comprises image reading means for reading an image of the document, and the storage means stores a plurality of images read by the image reading means.

It is also preferable that the image forming apparatus further comprises a rotating means for rotating the plurality of images having the same resolution, and the images are combined by the combining means after the rotation by the rotating means.

[0010] It is also preferable that the predetermined resolution is the highest resolution among the two or more resolutions.

It is also preferable to have an image recording means for recording an image combined by the combining means.

It is also preferable that the image processing device is a facsimile device.

[0013] On the other hand, in order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an image processing method, comprising the steps of inputting a plurality of images having two or more resolutions and combining them to output one image. In this case, one of the two or more resolutions is selected, the plurality of images are converted to the predetermined resolution, and then combined and output.

Here, it is preferable that the plurality of images are images received from a communication line.

It is preferable that the plurality of images are images read by image reading means.

In the combining, it is preferable that the images after the resolution conversion are rotated and combined.

It is also preferable that the predetermined resolution is the highest resolution among the two or more resolutions.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium for storing a program for controlling an image processing apparatus for processing an input image, wherein a procedure code for a storage step for storing the input image is provided. And a procedure code of a judging step of judging whether to combine and output the plurality of images stored in the storage step, and a resolution of each of the plurality of images when it is judged that the plurality of images are merged by the judging step. The procedure code of the comparison step to be performed, the procedure code of the resolution selection step of selecting the highest resolution from the resolutions when the resolutions of the plurality of images are different from each other as a result of the comparison in the comparison step, A procedure code for a resolution conversion step of converting the resolution of the plurality of images to the highest resolution, The procedure code image combining step of combining the plurality of images aligned, and having a.

[0019]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However,
The dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the components described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to them unless otherwise specified.

(First Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 4 show a facsimile apparatus as an image processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The facsimile apparatus is configured to rotate and combine a received report image such as a character and an image image such as a photograph and store the report image in a size having a predetermined size and shape (here, A4 portrait). ing.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to the present embodiment.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an image reading unit which irradiates a document with light and reads light reflected from the document by a light receiving element such as a CCD sensor. The reading method is to place the original on the platen and CCD
, Or a moving document reading method in which the document is read by a fixed CCD while being transported. When reading, it is possible to change the resolution for each document.

Reference numeral 2 denotes an image receiving unit. Thereby, the image sent from the communication line N can be received.

The storage unit 3 stores an image input from either the image reading unit 1 or the image receiving unit 2 in association with its resolution.

When combining the image data stored in the storage unit 3, the resolution comparison and selection unit 4 compares the resolutions stored in the storage unit 3 and selects one of them. In the present embodiment, the resolution is adjusted to the highest resolution in order to prevent image deterioration.

The resolution conversion unit 5 receives the image from the storage unit 3 and the resolution selected from the resolution comparison and selection unit 4 and converts all images to be combined into the highest resolution. As is generally known, the resolution conversion method is performed by analyzing how many times the resolution is increased in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction, and accumulating the same pixel a plurality of times using a buffer or the like.

Then, the images combined at one resolution are combined by the image combining unit 6. At the time of combining, rotation may be applied to combine in a direction suitable for recording in the image recording unit 7. The combined image is recorded by the image recording unit 7. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that printing is performed by a laser printer, but printing on a storage medium or output to an image display device may be performed. Further, when printing, it may be reduced or enlarged according to the size of the recording paper to be recorded.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of hardware of the facsimile apparatus according to the present embodiment.

The main body of the image transmitting apparatus has a CPU (central processing unit) 11 as a core, and reads, records, operates,
It performs various processes related to transmission of information with the communication unit. The CPU 11 has a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 1
3, rotating device 14, image memory 15, buffer memory 1
6, a page memory 17, a read control gate array 18, a recording control gate array 20, a modem 22, a coding device (codec) 24, a display 25, and a keyboard 26 are connected. Although not shown, the encoding device 24
Is composed of an encoding section, a decoding section, a reading section, a recording section, a buffer memory and the like.

A contact sensor 19 is connected to the read control gate array 18 and a recording control gate array 20
Is connected to a laser printer 21.

The CPU 11 executes various processes corresponding to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 while controlling other components according to various programs preset in the ROM 12. At this time, the CPU 11 uses the RAM 13 as a work area.

The contact sensor 19 is composed of a photoelectric conversion element such as a CCD, and converts an optically read original image into an electric signal under the control of the read control gate array 18 at the time of image reading, and encodes it as image information. To the conversion device 24. The encoding device 24 compresses and encodes the image data and stores it in the image memory 15.

When transmitting the image data stored in the image memory 15, the image data is encoded by the encoder in the encoding device 24 under the control of the CPU 11 in accordance with the mode of the destination facsimile machine. And then modulated by the modem 22 to form a network controller 23
Is output to the line N via

On the other hand, the line N, the network controller 23
Is received under the control of the CPU 11,
The data is demodulated by the modem 22 to check and correct data errors. The data is decoded and decompressed by the decoder in the encoding device 24, stored in the image memory 15, and then under the control of the recording control gate array 20. Is printed and recorded by the laser printer 21.

Although not shown, the keyboard 26 has ten keys for inputting destination information (telephone number), timer transmission time, etc., and a transmission mode key for instructing memory transmission to be performed asynchronously with direct transmission for synchronizing reading and transmission. , A start key for instructing a transmission start, various function keys such as a registration key for registering registration data used for various operations of the apparatus, and a key for switching a mode of the apparatus standby state, that is, a copy state standby mode and a facsimile state standby A mode key for switching modes is arranged, and these also operate under the control of the CPU 11.

The display 25 is a liquid crystal display (LC)
D) and a light emitting diode (LED), and information corresponding to the operation keys of the keyboard 26, clock information, status information of the apparatus, and the like are displayed on the LCD of the display 25 under the control of the CPU 11 in the form of messages, symbols, and the like. Or by turning on and off the LED.

With reference to FIG. 3, a description will be given of a flow of image processing at the time of rotation / combination recording of a plurality of images in the present embodiment with the above configuration. In the present embodiment, as an example, a case will be described in which a received A4 short report image and an A3 short image are combined. Here, the resolution of the transmitted report image is fine (main scanning 8 pel / mm, sub-scanning 7.7 line / mm), and the main scanning width is A4 width (210 mm). The resolution of the image is ultra fine (main scanning 16 pel / m).
m, sub-scan 15.4 line / mm), main scan width is A3
Width.

The image data of the report image and the image data of the image are each compressed by the encoding device 24 of FIG. 2 and are temporarily stored in the image memory 15 as the accumulated image 27.

Next, prior to the rotation / combination, the resolution of the report image and the resolution of the image image are compared, and at the same time, the report image data stored in the image memory 15 is encoded. The decoding is performed line by line by the decoding unit in the device 14. If the resolution of the report image is different from that of the image image, decoding is performed while performing resolution conversion according to the higher resolution, and the data is temporarily stored in the buffer memory 16. That is, in this case, the image of the report image is converted into the resolution of the image image and stored. That is, 2 with respect to the main scanning direction.
The same line is stored twice in the sub-scanning direction.

Here, if the resolution of the transmitted image is standard (main scanning 8 pel / mm, sub scanning 3.
(85 lines / mm), the same line is stored twice only in the sub-scanning direction when processing the image image without performing resolution conversion on the report image.

It is assumed that the buffer memory 6 has a size enough to store 16 lines of raw data.
After 16 lines of raw data are stored in the buffer memory 6, the raw data is then stored in the unit block 28 (16l).
The rotation processing is performed clockwise using the rotation device 4 for each (ine × 16 pix).

This rotation process is performed, for example, when the facsimile machine has only A4 size recording paper, or when the user sets to output in A4 size, and the rotation process is performed for a size larger than A4 size. It is particularly effective when the image is transmitted, and the image is rotated and reduced to reduce the reduction change.

Images are sequentially stored in the page memory 17 for each unit block that has been subjected to the rotation processing, at a position where a proper image is obtained after rotation. It is assumed that the page memory 17 has a maximum resolution and a size that allows image data of the maximum recording paper size to be stored as raw data.

When all the images in the buffer memory 16 have been processed, the next line of the report image is repeatedly processed. When the rotation process is completed for the entire report image, the image image is stored in the same page memory 1 as the report image.
7, the rotation processing is performed, and the rotation processing is already performed.

When all the processes have been completed, the data in the page memory 17 is transferred to the recording control gate array 20, and the laser printer 21 prints and records the data under the control.

If the number of lines and the number of pixels of the report image and the image image are not a multiple of 16, a process of adding a white image to a multiple of 16 is performed. Further, in the present embodiment, the unit block to be rotated is 16 lin.
e × 16 pix, but other sizes may be used.

In FIG. 3, the reduced recording is performed, for example, when only the A4 vertical size recording paper is set in the facsimile apparatus, or when the user sets to output in the A4 vertical size. It is also possible to perform recording on an A3-size recording sheet without reduction depending on the setting.

The rotation process is not limited to the above case, and it is also possible to record only the report image without rotating the image image.

With reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, a description will be given of a processing operation at the time of rotationally coupling recording of a report image and an image image in the present embodiment with the above configuration.

First, what is the highest resolution of a plurality of images to be combined and recorded on one page of recording paper is determined (S40).
1). Then, the resolution is compared with the resolution of the image to be processed in the main scanning direction (S402).

Here, the resolution in the main scanning direction is usually 8p
el / mm or 16 pel / mm, and the resolution of the report image is 8 pel / mm, so the maximum resolution is only twice or equal to that. If it is the same size, rdc-h is set to 1 (S403), and if it is 2 times, 2 is set (S404). Similarly, the resolutions in the sub-scanning direction are compared (S405).

The resolution in the sub-scanning direction is usually 3.85.
line / mm, 7.7 line / mm, or 1
5.4 line / mm, and the resolution of the report image is 7.7 line / mm.
Double or only equal. Rdc-
v is set to 1 (S406), and if v is double, 2 is set (S407). rdc-h indicates the magnification of resolution conversion in the main scanning direction, and rdc-v indicates the magnification of resolution conversion in the sub-scanning direction.

Next, 1 is set to the parameters i and j (S408). Here, i indicates the number of lines of the image to be processed, and indicates the number of lines accumulated in the buffer memory 6.
Next, the iline is decrypted and temporarily stored in the RAM 3 (S4
09), rdc-h is compared (S410). rdc
If 2 is set to -h, enlargement processing of iline image data stored in the RAM 3 is performed to double the resolution (S411), and jl of the buffer memory 6 is processed.
The value is stored in the ine-th position, and j is increased by 1 (S412). S41
If rdc-h is not 2 and 0, that is, if 1 is set, no enlargement processing is performed and jli in the buffer memory 6
The value is stored in the “ne” position, and j is increased by 1 (S412).

Next, rdc-v is compared (S41).
3). If 2 is set in rdc-v, the buffer memory 6 is set in S412 to double the resolution in the sub-scanning direction.
Is stored in the jline of the buffer memory 6 again, and j is incremented by 1 (S4
14), i is further increased by 1 (S415). R in S413
If dc-v is not 2, that is, if 1 is set, i is increased by 1 without performing S414 (S415). Next, it is confirmed whether or not j is 16, that is, whether or not image data has been stored in all the lines of the buffer memory 6 (S416). If not stored, S409
The process returns to i-line and the process is repeated again. If they are stored, 1 is set to j and 1 is set to k (S417). Here, the parameter k is 16 pel × in the buffer memory 6.
Shows the number of the block when divided into blocks of 15.4 line size. The k-th block is transferred to the rotation device 4, rotated, the rotated image data is stored in a predetermined position of the page memory 7, and k is increased by 1 (S418). Next, it is confirmed whether the processing has been completed up to the last block of the buffer memory 6 (S419). If not, S
Returning to step 418, the process is repeated until all the data in the buffer memory 6 has been processed. When the process is completed, it is confirmed whether or not one page of the image to be rotated has been completed (S420). If the processing has not been completed, the process returns to S409 and the processing of the next line is repeated. If completed, it is checked whether there is a next page to be rotated (S421). S if next page
Returning to step 402, the same processing is repeated. That is, in the present embodiment, assuming that the rotation process of the report image has been completed, the rotation process of the image image added to the report image is performed. If there is no other image to be combined, it means that the rotation combining process of the image to be recorded on one page of the recording paper has been completed, and the image data stored in the page memory 7 is transferred to the recording control gate array 10, Record with a printer.

Although the present embodiment has described the rotational combination of a report image and an image image, the same applies to the rotational combination recording of other images, and the number of images to be rotationally combined is not limited. Also, as a result of the resolution comparison,
Alternatively, although only twice the resolution has been described in the present embodiment, even if the result of the resolution comparison is other than that, only the number of times of processing is different, and the present invention can be similarly implemented.

(Second Embodiment) An object of the present invention is to provide a storage medium storing software program codes for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or an apparatus, and to provide a computer for the system or apparatus. Needless to say, the present invention is also achieved when the CPU (or CPU or MPU) reads out and executes the program code stored in the storage medium.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium implements the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD
-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized, but also the OS (Operating System) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. ) May perform some or all of the actual processing, and the processing may realize the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instruction of the program code, It goes without saying that the CPU included in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

When the present invention is applied to the storage medium, the storage medium stores program codes corresponding to the above-described flowcharts. Each module shown will be stored in a storage medium.

In FIG. 5, when a plurality of images are rotationally combined and recorded, each image data to be rotationally combined is stored in a memory process (S501), and a rotational combination determination process (S501) is performed.
At 502), it is determined that the images are rotationally coupled and recorded. Further, in the resolution comparison step (S503), the images are compared with the maximum resolution of each image that is rotationally coupled and recorded. If the result is different from the maximum resolution, the main scanning enlargement step (S503)
504), the resolution is converted to the highest resolution by the sub-scan enlargement process (S505), and is temporarily stored in the buffer process (S506). The image data stored in the buffer step (S506) is divided into a plurality of blocks, a rotation process is performed in a rotation step (S507), and the data is stored in the next page memory step (S508). Then, when all the rotational coupling processes are completed, the image is recorded on the recording paper in the recording step (S509).

(Other Embodiments) Even if the present invention is applied to a system constituted by a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), an apparatus comprising one device (for example, For example, the present invention may be applied to a copying machine.

[0064]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to provide a high-performance image processing apparatus, image processing method, and recording medium that can arbitrarily combine document images having different resolutions.

[0065]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of hardware of the facsimile apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the facsimile apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a change in image data when the image data is combined.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a processing operation when rotating and combining a report image and an image image in the facsimile apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a memory map showing a schematic configuration of a storage medium according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. An image processing apparatus for processing a stored image, comprising: storage means for storing a plurality of images having two or more types of resolutions; Resolution comparison and selection means for selecting a resolution, resolution conversion means for adjusting the plurality of images to the predetermined resolution, and coupling means for coupling the plurality of images aligned to the predetermined resolution by the resolution conversion means. An image processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising receiving means for receiving an image from a communication line, wherein said storing means stores a plurality of images received by said receiving means. 3. An image reading means for reading an image of a document,
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores a plurality of images read by the image reading unit. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rotation unit configured to rotate the plurality of images having the same resolution, wherein the images are combined by the combining unit after the rotation by the rotation unit. 4. The image processing device according to 2 or 3. 5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined resolution is the highest resolution among the two or more types of resolutions. 6. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising image recording means for recording an image combined by said combining means. 7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image processing apparatus is a facsimile apparatus. 8. When a plurality of images having two or more kinds of resolutions are input, and they are combined and output as one image,
An image processing method, wherein one of the two or more resolutions is selected, the plurality of images are converted to the predetermined resolution, and then combined and output. , 9. The image processing method according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of images are images received from a communication line. 10. The image processing method according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of images are images read by image reading means. 11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the image after the resolution conversion is rotated and combined at the time of the combining.
Image processing method. 12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined resolution is the highest resolution among the two or more resolutions.
12. The image processing method according to 10 or 11. 13. A storage medium for a program for controlling an image processing apparatus for processing an input image, wherein a procedure code of a storage step of storing the input image is combined with a plurality of images stored in the storage step. A procedure code of a determination step of determining whether to output the image data, a procedure code of a comparison step of comparing respective resolutions of the plurality of images when it is determined that the plurality of images are combined in the determination step, As a result, when the resolutions of the plurality of images are different, a procedure code of a resolution selecting step of selecting a highest resolution from the resolutions, and converting the resolutions of the plurality of images to the highest resolution selected in the resolution selecting step A procedure code for a resolution conversion step, and an image combination for combining the plurality of images aligned to the highest resolution by the resolution conversion step Storage medium characterized by having a procedure code of degree.