JPH11308438A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processor for performing more appropriate closed area detection automatically or as desired by a user even in the case that a graphic in an original constitutes a closed area by the difference of density information or hue information. SOLUTION: In this image processor, color image data read in an image read part 11 are stored and prescribed edge information is detected from the stored color image data by an edge detection part. Then, the closed area in the original is specified and the closed area in the original is detected from the edge information detected by the edge detection part. By the detected closed area information, image processings different on the inside and outside of the closed area are executed. Thus, even in the case that the closed area in the original is under the different conditions of the hue information or the density information, an appropriate closed area detected result is outputted and a closed area processing without errors is made possible.

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 such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, and a display device.
The present invention relates to an image processing device that performs different image processing inside and outside a closed area specified in input image data and outputs the processed image data to the outside.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image processing apparatus such as a digital copying machine, image processing is uniformly performed on a document during a normal copying operation. However, in order to obtain a special visual effect, image processing different from other areas may be performed on the inside of a closed area in a read original.

As a prior art of the above-mentioned contents, the original image information is binarized (0 or 1) by pre-scanning, written into a bit map memory for the original image, and a closed area is detected in the original image around the coordinates designated by the digitizer. And
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-168163 discloses an image processing apparatus that fills an area corresponding to each closed area with a filling bitmap memory.

[0004] In the above-described scan, predetermined image processing is performed on the area filled in the filling bitmap memory, and different image processing is provided inside and outside the closed area. At this time, binarized information is stored in the document image bitmap that stores document image information, and density information and color information in the document are not stored and used.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, it is generally necessary to first detect a closed area in a document in order to perform different image processing inside and outside the closed area. When holding the detection result in the related art, attention is paid only to two-dimensional density as closed area information in a document. In the processing method focusing on the density information, the problem that the closed region cannot be detected in a document having the same density as that of the document constituting the closed region and the density of the other region but different hues is shown in FIG. It is shown.

FIG. 10 (b) shows a problem that the method focusing on hue information cannot detect a closed area document having the same hue and different density.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problem, and even when a figure in a document forms a closed area due to a difference in density information, a closed area is formed due to a difference in hue information. Even in such a case, an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of performing more appropriate closed area detection automatically or as desired by a user.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reading means for reading color image data of an original, and storing the color image data read by the image reading means. First storage means, edge information detection means for detecting predetermined edge information from color image data stored in the first storage means, closed area designating means for designating a closed area in a document, and edge information Closed area detection means for detecting a closed area in the document from the edge information detected by the detection means, and different image processing is performed between the inside and outside of the closed area based on information on the closed area detected by the closed area detection means Image processing means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the predetermined edge information is information containing at least one or two of density information and hue information.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, when the edge information detected by the closed area detecting means is two pieces of density information and hue information, a logical operation of the density information and the hue information is performed. And detecting a closed area in the document from the result of (1).

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the logical operation is a logical sum or a logical product.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect of the present invention, one of the density information or the hue information detected by the edge information detecting means, a logical sum of two, or a logical product of two logical products is obtained. It is characterized by having a selection control means for selecting and controlling whether the closed area is detected by the closed area detection means by any of them.

[0013]

Next, an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG.
8 show an example of a block configuration of the present embodiment.
1 is a configuration diagram of a copier with an operation panel, FIG. 2 is an image processing unit, FIG. 3 is a color conversion processing unit, FIG. 4 is a gradation processing unit, FIG. 5 is an under color processing unit, and FIG. , FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the original BM, and FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the area BM.

(Overall Configuration) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a digital color copying machine. The color copier includes an image reading unit 11 that reads a document and outputs raster scan color image data, an image processing unit 12 that performs image processing on the read image data, and color image data that has been subjected to image processing. Recording device 13 for recording the image on a predetermined sheet, a digitizer 15 for designating the coordinates for area processing, and a BM for original which stores the color image data read by the image reading unit 11 after converting the color system into a predetermined color system. A document storage bitmap memory) 14 and an area BM (area data bitmap memory) 1 for storing area data indicating the area processing content of the image processing performed by the image processing unit 12
6, an operation panel 17 for selecting and inputting each operation mode from outside, and a system control unit 10 for controlling the above-mentioned units. Hereinafter, a configuration example and an operation example of each block will be described.

The image reading unit 11 has three RGB CCs.
It has a D-line sensor, performs predetermined correction processing and amplification processing on RGB data optically read from a document, and outputs 8-bit RGB data to the outside in parallel.

Next, an example of the configuration of the image processing unit 12 will be described with reference to FIG. The image processing unit 12 includes the image reading unit 11
A color conversion processing unit 21 that performs a color conversion process on the RGB data input from the CPU, and a gradation processing unit 22 that performs a gradation process on the image data that has been subjected to the color conversion processing by the color conversion processing unit 21
And an under-color processing unit 2 that performs under-color processing on image data subjected to gradation processing by the gradation processing unit 22
3, a paint processing unit 24 for performing a paint (filling) process on the image data subjected to under color processing by the under color processing unit 23, and an illustration for controlling each unit based on area data input from the outside. It is composed of an area processing control unit. The operation in the image processing unit will be described below.

An example of the configuration of the color conversion processing unit 21 will be described with reference to FIG. The RGB data input to the image processing unit 12 is first subjected to a predetermined color conversion process by a color conversion processing unit 21. The input RGB data is subjected to a masking process by a matrix multiplying unit 211. The matrix multiplication process in the matrix multiplication unit 211 is performed according to the masking coefficient held in the matrix table 212, and the data in the matrix table 212 can be rewritten and controlled by the system control unit 10 shown in FIG. I do. The RGB data subjected to the above processing is converted into KCMY data.

An example of the configuration of the gradation processing section 22 will be described with reference to FIG. The image data converted into KCMY data by the color conversion processing unit 21 is subjected to predetermined gradation processing by the gradation processing unit 22. The gradation processing unit 22 calculates the K of the color conversion unit 21.
Each of them is connected to CMY data output, and independently performs gradation processing according to each KCMY data output. The data input to the gradation processing unit 22 is subjected to a filtering process according to each color by a filter multiplying circuit 221. Three FIFOs (223a, 223b, 223c) each having a length of one line are connected to the filter multiplication circuit 221. 3 × 5 pixels are provided by a shift register having a length of 5 pixels in the filter multiplication circuit 221. Filter processing is performed in units. In addition, in the multiplication processing in the 3 × 5 unit, each multiplication coefficient is held in the filter coefficient table 222, and the table data can be rewritten and controlled by the system control unit 10.

An example of the configuration of the under color processing section 23 will be described with reference to FIG. The image data subjected to the gradation processing by the gradation processing section 22 is subjected to undercolor processing by the undercolor processing section 23. The image data after gradation processing input to the under color processing unit 23 and the contents of the register 233 holding a predetermined offset value are added to the adder 2.
Add at 31. The selector 232 selects one of the addition result and the input image data before the addition and outputs it to the outside. Further, the offset value held in the register 233 and the select signal of the selector 232 can be controlled by the system control unit 10 in accordance with ON / OFF of the undercolor process selected from the outside and the undercolor color.

An example of the configuration of the paint processing section 24 will be described with reference to FIG. The image data subjected to the under color process (including the process OFF) is subjected to a paint process by the paint processing unit 24. The image data input to the paint processing unit 24 and the contents of the register 242 holding predetermined paint density data are input to the selector circuit 241, and either of them is output to the outside by a select signal from the system control unit 10. Is done. The paint density data stored in the register 242 can be rewritten by the system control unit 10.

The digitizer 15 designates an arbitrary point in the document and transmits its coordinate data to the system controller 10. Here, one point is specified in an arbitrary inside of the closed region graphic existing in the document.

A configuration example of the document BM 14 will be described with reference to FIG. The original BM 14 is input 8-bit RGB.
A thinning-out processing unit 31 for thinning out data at a predetermined interval (main and sub 4 dots) and then performing an 8 → 4 bit conversion process;
An RGB bitmap memory (RGB BM) 32 for storing the thinned RGB data in R, G, and B bitmap memories, and an RGB BM3
2, a data access circuit 33 for accessing an arbitrary address, a hue conversion circuit 34 for converting the read RGB data into hue data, a density conversion circuit 35 for converting the read RGB data into density data, and a Laplacian process. Edge detection circuit 3 for detecting an edge from the result
6 and 37, binarization processing circuits 38 and 39, and a selector circuit 40 which receives two of the hue edges as inputs.

The hue conversion circuit 34 and the density conversion circuit 3
5 has a configuration similar to that of FIG. 5, and has a function of hue conversion and density conversion by rewriting the contents of the conversion processing matrix table 212 connected to the conversion circuit. The operation inside the document BM 14 will be described below.

RGB captured by prescan
The data is subjected to a 4 × 4 OR process by the thinning processing unit 31 and is converted into 8 → 4 bits by a bit shift process. The converted RGB data is stored in the RGB BM 32 in synchronization with the raster scanning of the image reading unit 11. RG stored in RGB BM 32
The B data is read by the data read circuit,
The information is converted into density information and hue information by two conversion circuits of a hue conversion circuit 34 and a density conversion circuit 35, and output to the edge detection circuits 36 and 37, respectively. In the edge detection circuits 36 and 37, an edge component in the input information is detected by a Laplacian filter, and the detection results are binarized by binarization circuits 38 and 39.

The basic configuration of an edge detection circuit having a built-in Laplacian filter is a gradation processing circuit 22 shown in FIG.
It has the same configuration as

The edge information of the hue information and the edge information of the density information detected as described above are input to the selector circuit 40, and either one of the two inputs or the input of the two inputs according to a select signal from the outside. The logical product / logical sum is output from the selector circuit 40.

The threshold value used in the binarization processing, the filter table of the Laplacian filter, and the matrix table of the conversion circuit can be rewritten by the system control unit 10.

FIG. 8 shows a configuration example of the area BM 16.
The area BM 16 converts the area data 4 bits into the original B
A 4-bit-depth BM 322 that stores data at the same resolution (main and sub-１ ／) as M14, a data write unit 321 that writes data to the 4-bit-depth BM 322 according to a write address and data from the system control unit 10, A data read unit 323 that outputs data to the outside according to a read address from the control unit 10.

An example of the operation inside the area BM 16 will be described. A write address signal / data is input from the system control unit 10, and area data is written on the area BM 16. The area data is 4 bits, and one area data is stored per dot of the bit map memory. After all the area data has been written, a read address signal from the system control unit 10 synchronized with the main scan operation is sequentially input to the data read unit 323, and the area data stored on the area BM 16 is continuously read. Read and output to outside.

In the image recording section 13, the image data subjected to the predetermined image processing by the image processing section 12 is recorded on a predetermined recording sheet.

On the operation panel 17, an operator selects and inputs various operation modes to the copying machine system. Here, the processing during the designated closed loop (paint, undercolor O
In addition to N / OFF control and selection of a designated color, a closed-loop detection mode (density detection, hue detection, automatic detection, etc.) can be externally selected.

The system control unit 10 includes an image reading unit 11, an image processing unit 12, a digitizer 15, and a BM 1 for an original.
4. A synchronization signal, an address signal, a data signal, and the like are transmitted to and received from the area BM 16 and the image recording unit 13, and each block is integratedly managed and controlled. Further, the system control unit 10 reads out the contents stored in the document BM 14 and extracts the contour information of the figure constituting the closed area in the document, and the extracted information is stored in the area BM 16 as area data. Has a writing function.

(Overall Operation) An operation example of the entire apparatus will be described below. First, original image data is taken into the original BM 14 by pre-scanning. After the capture of the document image data is completed, the closed area detection mode (hue detection or
System controller 10 according to the density detection or automatic detection).
Controls the select circuit 40 shown in FIG. Here, when the hue detection mode is selected as the closed area detection mode, the selection signal of the selection circuit 40 is controlled so that only the hue edge component is output, and when the density detection mode is selected. Controls the select signal of the select circuit 40 so that only the density edge component is output. When the automatic detection mode is selected as the closed area detection mode, the selection circuit 4 outputs a logical OR result of the hue edge component and the density edge component.
Control the select signal of 0. With the method described above, it is possible to read the edge portion of the closed area in the document.

FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram for explaining contour detection and tracking. In FIG. 9, the system control unit 10 tracks the contour of the closed area including the specified point based on the read processing result of the edge portion and one point designated coordinate in the closed area by the digitizer, and detects the closed area. The detected outline information of the closed region is stored in the RAM in the system control unit 10.

As described above, the system control unit 10 switches the edge component detection processing in the original in accordance with the closed area detection mode specified by the operation panel 17, and converts the edge area in the original into a closed area contour or a hue that focuses on the density in the original. Closed area outline,
Alternatively, it is possible to detect the outline of a closed region focusing on both the density and the hue.

After the outline of the closed area in the document is extracted by the above-described method, using the outline information stacked in the RAM in the system control unit 10, the outline map is stored in the bit map memory in the area BM 16 for the area surrounded by the outline. Write area data. The area data written here is data indicating the processing contents (painting processing, undercolor processing, etc.) selected by the operator, and the system control unit 10
By referring to the area BM 16, the area processing content at that position can be detected.

After the writing of the area data to the area BM 16 is completed, a main scan is performed, and the original image is fetched again by the image reading section 11. The captured image data passes through the color conversion processing unit 21, the gradation processing unit 22, the under color processing unit 23, and the paint processing unit 24, and is subjected to each processing as described above. The system control unit 10 reads the area data in the area BM 16 in synchronization with the reading operation of the image reading unit 11, sequentially decodes the read area data, designates the decoding contents to the image processing unit 12, and specifies the content of the area data. Image processing (monochromatic processing, undercolor processing,
ON / OFF control of the paint process). As a result, image data obtained by subjecting the area surrounded by the closed area on the document to arbitrary image processing designated by the operator is sent to the image recording unit 12, and the processing result is output to a predetermined recording sheet.

In the above embodiment, the contour detection processing of the closed area is performed by the closed area detection method in the document, but the closed area detection may be performed by another method. Also, digitizer 1
Although the coordinate data in the document is input by 5, a method of inputting the coordinates in the closed area using another coordinate designating device (such as a touch panel on which a document image is displayed) may be used. In addition, single color processing, paint, and under color processing are performed as area processing, but other editing processing (color conversion, gradation conversion, shadow casting, hollowing out, negative / positive inversion processing, etc.) is area controlled. The configuration may be as follows.

The above embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. However, it is not limited to this.
Various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the selection / control for selecting / controlling whether to detect / control the closed area by the closed area detection means based on one of the density edge detection result and the hue edge detection result, or two logical sums or two logical products.
A control unit may be provided. Further, the image processing unit may be any one of a paint process, an under color process, a single color process, and the like.

[0040]

As apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, color image data of a document is stored, and predetermined edge information is detected from the stored color image data. A closed area in the document is detected from the detected edge information, and different image processing is performed on the inside and outside of the closed area based on the detected closed area information, so that the closed area in the document has hue information or density information. , An appropriate closed region detection result can be output, and error-free closed region processing can be performed.

Further, even when a closed area in a document is detected based on hue information or density information, an appropriate closed area detection result can be output. Furthermore, the logic operation method with the detected density edge information can be externally controlled, and an appropriate closed area detection method can be arbitrarily selected according to the original. Even if it is detected, it is possible to output an appropriate closed area detection result.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus to which an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image processing unit.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a color conversion processing unit.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a gradation processing unit.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an undercolor processing unit.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a paint processing unit.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a document BM.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an area BM.

FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an operation example of the present embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a problem of the conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 10 System control unit 11 Image reading unit 12 Image processing unit 13 Image recording device 14 Document storage bitmap memory (document BM) 15 Digitizer 16 Area data bitmap memory (Area B
M) 17 operation panel 21 color conversion processing section 22 gradation processing section 23 under color processing section 24 paint processing section 31 thinning processing section 32 RGB bitmap memory (RGB BM) 33 data access circuit 34 hue conversion circuit 35 density conversion Circuits 36, 37 Edge detection circuits 38, 39 Binarization circuit 40 Selector circuit 211 Matrix multiplication circuit 212 Matrix table 221 Filter multiplication circuit 222 Filter coefficient table 223 FIFO 231 Adder 232 Selector 233, 242 Register 241 Selector circuit 321 Data writing section 322 BM 323 data read unit

Claims (5)

[Claims] An image reading unit that reads color image data of a document; a first storage unit that stores the color image data read by the image reading unit; and a first storage unit that stores the color image data. Edge information detection means for detecting predetermined edge information from the color image data; closed area designation means for designating a closed area in the document; and edge information in the document from the edge information detected by the edge information detection means. A closed region detecting unit that detects a closed region; and an image processing unit that performs different image processing on the inside and outside of the closed region based on information on the closed region detected by the closed region detecting unit. Image processing apparatus. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined edge information is information including at least one or two of density information and hue information. 3. When the edge information detected by the closed area detecting means is two of the density information and the hue information, the edge information and the hue information are used to determine whether or not the edge information is closed. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the area is detected. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the logical operation is a logical sum or a logical product. 5. The closed area detection means according to any one of the density information or the hue information detected by the edge information detection means, or two logical sums, or two logical products, 5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising selection control means for selecting and controlling whether to detect an area.