JPH11252295A - Image transmitter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent meaningless image such as full white or full black images or the like from being sent due to mistake by a transmission operator or a fault of the transmitter itself in the case of making facsimile transmission. SOLUTION: An original image read by a scanner section 2 is processed by an image processing section 5 and a pixel count section 8 counts the number of black pixels of one page of original of the image data. Let the count value be C1, the number of total pixels for one page be D, and let a setting value be K1, then in the case of C1<=K1, since this means minority of black pixels, it is discriminated that a fully white image is obtained. In the case that (D-C1) >=K1, since this means majority of black pixels, it is discriminated that a fully black image is obtained. The operation section 1 displays a message denoting the respective cases to draw attention of the operator. A fact of abnormal transmission is stored to a transmission result storage section 10 with identification data to prevent transmission of meaningless image such as fully white or black images.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a digital copying machine,
The present invention relates to an error detection technique at the time of transmitting an image in an image transmitting apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus and a scanner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional image transmission system such as a facsimile apparatus or a network scanner, image data of a document read by a transmission side is transmitted through a transmission network such as a LAN or a public line, and received by a reception side. ing.

[0003]

However, in the image transmission system shown in the above-mentioned conventional example, since the transmitting side device and the receiving side device are generally installed at distant places, the transmitting side operator is required to be connected to the receiving side. It is difficult to check the image state. For this reason, when the transmitting operator sets a document to be sent, if the wrong transmission is set due to a mistake in setting the document, such as placing the document upside down, the receiving side does not know what the cause is. there were.

[0004] In addition, a meaningless image such as a full white image or a full black image is often transmitted on the receiving side due to a device failure, and further, a lamp burnout, a reading position shift, and a mechanical failure of the reading unit. Since there is a wide variety of problems such as failure of electronic components, there is a problem that the cost of the apparatus itself is greatly increased if a check mechanism is provided for each.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image transmitting apparatus which issues a warning to an operator without significantly increasing the cost, and prevents transmission of useless images such as full white or black.

[0006]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image transmitting apparatus for converting image data of an original into an electric signal and transmitting the electric signal via a transmission line. Image reading means for outputting image data, counting means for counting the number of black pixels in the image data, comparison means for comparing the count value of the black pixels obtained by the counting means with a set value, Display means for displaying a message indicating that an abnormal image is transmitted when the count value obtained is smaller or larger than the set value.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the image transmitting apparatus includes a storage unit for storing the comparison result, and the display unit is stored in the storage unit based on a predetermined operation of the operator. Displaying the contents of the comparison result.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image transmitting apparatus for converting image data of a document into an electric signal and transmitting the signal over a transmission line, wherein the image reading means reads the document and outputs image data; Encoding compression means for encoding the repetition of black and white and compressing the image, compression rate detection means for detecting the compression rate of the image data compressed by the encoding compression means, and compression rate detected by the compression rate detection means. A comparison means for comparing the set value with the setting value, and a display means for displaying a message indicating that an abnormal image is transmitted when the compression ratio detected by the comparison means is larger than the set value.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, the image transmitting apparatus includes a storage unit for storing the comparison result, and the display unit is stored in the storage unit based on a predetermined operation of the operator. Displaying the contents of the comparison result.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the image transmitting apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a facsimile apparatus as an image transmitting apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

As shown in FIG. 1, a facsimile apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an operation unit 1, a scanner unit 2, a plotter unit 3, a main control unit 4, an image processing unit 5, a compression unit Unit 6, image memory unit 7, pixel counting unit 8, line control unit 9, transmission result storage unit 10, line 1
And 1.

The operation unit 1 includes operation keys and display elements such as an LCD dot matrix and an LED. The scanner unit 2 is configured by a light source, a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD, a mechanical mechanism, and the like, and electrically converts a read image into an image signal. The plotter unit 3 employs an electrophotographic method, and forms an image on a transfer sheet using an image signal sent from the image processing unit 5. The main control unit 4 includes a central processing unit (CP)
U), an RO storing a program or predetermined data
M, I / O (input / output) ports, etc., and the operation of the above-described scanner unit 2, plotter unit 3, operation unit 1, and image processing unit 5, compression unit 6, pixel counting unit 8, and line control unit, which will be described later. And 9 controls the entire system of the apparatus.

The image processing section 5 performs image processing such as binarization on the image signal sent from the scanner section 2 and sends it to a compression section 6 at the subsequent stage as image data. The compression unit 6 stores the image data in the image memory unit 7 and then compresses the image data using an algorithm that encodes data repetition, such as a run-length encoding method. The image memory unit 7 stores the image data coded and compressed by the compression unit 6 again. Further, the amount of compressed image data stored in the image memory unit 7 is detected, and the compression rate is transmitted to the main control unit 4. Note that the compression unit 6 does not perform a compression operation in accordance with an instruction from the main control unit 4, but also performs an operation of directly outputting input image data to a subsequent stage. The pixel count unit 8 counts a signal defined as black in the input image data, that is, the number of black pixels, and transmits the count value to the main control unit 4. In this embodiment, the line controller 9 is a public line 1
Connected to one. The transmission result storage unit 10 is configured by a battery-backed RAM.

First, an example of the operation when the pixel count section 8 detects the transmission of an abnormal image of white or black on the entire surface will be described. The document image read by the scanner unit 2 is sent to the image processing unit 5 as an image signal. The image processing unit 5 binarizes the image signal with a predetermined threshold to obtain image data. Since this image data is transmitted as it is, the compression unit 6
Then, the image data is output to the pixel counting unit 8 without performing any processing. The pixel count unit 8 counts the number of black pixels of the image data for one page of the document, and the value of the count result is:
C1 is transmitted to the main control unit 4. The main control unit 4 calculates the total number of pixels for one page: D based on the configuration of the device and the read original size, and compares it with 0 or a value close to 0 preset by the device: K1.

When C1 ≦ K1, that is, when the count value of the black pixels is equal to or less than the value set by the device from 0 to close to 0, the number of black pixels per page is extremely small. A message such as "Warning: a white image may have been sent" may be displayed to alert the operator, and that the abnormal transmission is stored in the transmission result storage unit 10 together with the identification data.

When (D−C1) ≧ K1, that is, a value obtained by subtracting the number of black pixels obtained by the pixel counting unit 8 from the total number of pixels for one page is 0 to 0 which is set by the device. If the value is close to or larger than the above, the number of black pixels per page is extremely large, so the main control unit 4 displays a message such as “Warning: a full black image may have been sent” on the operation unit 1. Then, the operator is alerted, and the fact that the abnormal transmission was performed is stored in the transmission result storage unit 10 together with the identification data.

Next, a description will be given of an example of the operation in the case of detecting the transmission of an abnormal image of white or black by compression.
The document read by the scanner unit 2 is sent to the image processing unit 5 as an image signal. The image processing unit 5 binarizes the image signal with a predetermined threshold to obtain image data. The image data for one page is temporarily stored in the image memory unit 7. Then, the compression unit 6 detects and encodes the repetition of white or black data sequentially from the head data from the image memory unit 7, and codes the data.
The compressed image data is stored in the image memory unit 7 as well.

At this time, the compression unit 6 transmits the data amount of compressed data: C2 to the main control unit 4. Main control unit 4
Calculates the total number of pixels for one page: D and the compression rate: (D / C2) from the compressed data amount: C2 based on the device configuration and the read original size. In addition, the maximum compression ratio value of the compression algorithm, or a value K2 which is very close to the value and is small, is set, and the main control unit 4 compares it with the compression ratio of the read image. In the case of the run-length encoding method, if the data for one page before compression is entirely white or black, the compression ratio becomes maximum and the abnormal compression ratio increases.

Therefore, the main control unit 4 determines that (D / C2) ≧
K2, that is, when a calculation result is obtained in which the value obtained by dividing the total number of pixels for one page by the amount of compressed data is the maximum compression rate value of the compression algorithm, or a value very close to the value and a small value or more, It is determined that the number of black pixels or white pixels is extremely large.
A message such as "Warning: there is a possibility that an all-white or all-black image has been sent" is displayed to alert the operator, and the fact that an abnormal transmission has occurred is stored in the transmission result storage unit 10 together with the identification data.

If the operator is requested to perform a predetermined operation and the apparatus is controlled so as to be in a state of waiting for image transmission, the operator can check the document setting surface and check whether there is any abnormality in other apparatuses. Can be confirmed,
It is possible to prevent sending a meaningless image beforehand.

After the transmission operation is completed, the operator performs a predetermined operation from the operation unit 1 to control the above-described abnormal transmission record to be displayed on the operation unit 1 so that the operator transmits a meaningless image. You can check if you have done.

[0022]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the number of black pixels of read image data is counted, and the ratio of the number of black pixels to the total number of pixels for one page is calculated. It is possible to detect the meaningless image of the whole white or black, and to display a warning to the operator, so that the meaningless image of the whole white or black is displayed. It is possible to know that it has been obtained, and to prevent transmission of meaningless images when transmitting images.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, it is stored that abnormal image data in which an all-white or all-black image can be transmitted is obtained. , The history can be displayed, so that the operator can easily know that an abnormal image such as full white or full black has been transmitted.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to detect the compression ratio of image data and to monitor whether or not an abnormal compression ratio is obtained. In addition, since a warning or the like can be displayed to the operator, it is possible to know that a meaningless image of full white or black has been obtained, and it is possible to prevent transmission thereof.

According to the invention described in claim 4, in the invention described in claim 3, it is stored that abnormal image data which may cause transmission of an all-white or all-black image is obtained. , The history can be displayed, so that the operator can easily know that an abnormal image such as full white or full black has been transmitted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image transmitting apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 operation unit 2 scanner unit 3 plotter unit 4 main control unit 5 image processing unit 6 compression unit 7 image memory unit 8 pixel count unit 9 line control unit 10 transmission result storage unit 11 line

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image data of a document is converted into an electric signal.
In an image transmitting apparatus for transmitting over a transmission line, an image reading unit that reads an original and outputs image data; a counting unit that counts the number of black pixels in the image data; Comparison means for comparing a count value with a set value; display means for displaying a message indicating that an abnormal image is transmitted when the count value obtained by the comparison means is smaller or larger than the set value An image transmitting apparatus comprising: 2. The image transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to store the comparison result, wherein the display unit displays the content of the comparison result stored in the storage unit based on a predetermined operation by an operator. The image transmission device according to claim 1, wherein: 3. An image data of a document is converted into an electric signal.
An image transmitting apparatus for transmitting an image by transmitting a transmission line; an image reading unit that reads an original and outputs image data; an encoding and compressing unit that encodes a black and white repetition of an image in the image data to compress the image; Compression rate detection means for detecting a compression rate of the image data compressed by the compression compression means; comparison means for comparing the compression rate detected by the compression rate detection means with a set value; Display means for displaying a message indicating that an abnormal image is to be transmitted when the compression ratio is greater than the set value. 4. The image transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to store the comparison result, wherein the display unit displays the content of the comparison result stored in the storage unit based on a predetermined operation by an operator. The image transmitting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: