JPS61214061A - Picture processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the retrieving time for color picture information by storing the information on pictures of primary colors obtained by separating the prescribed color picture information into primary colors and then retrieving the color picture information based on the monochrome picture information. CONSTITUTION:A color picture original read by an original reader 1 is separated into three primary colors and stored in R, G and B image memories 8, 9 and 10. These stored image information are coded one by one and stored in a picture file part 6 via a compression processing part 7. For retrieval of the color picture information, a picture file to be read out is first selected. Then the color of a subfile is decided to read out the selected picture file for retrieval. The selected subfile is decoded and developed onto the image memory corresponding to the selected subfile and then displayed on a CRT in the form of a monochromatic picture. A desired file if displayed is delivered to a printer 2. thus the retrieving time is shortened for the color picture information.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention processes color image information by separating it into three primary colors.
The present invention relates to an image processing device for storing images.

[Prior Art] In a conventional image processing device that separates predetermined color image information into primary colors and processes and stores the primary color image information, when performing an image search, three pieces of primary color image information corresponding to each of the three primary colors are stored in a storage unit. The primary color image information thus read out is decoded, displayed on a display device such as a CRT, and searched.

Since the conventional device reads out each of the three primary color image information, the total readout time requires about three times the readout time of a simple black and white image. Therefore, there is a problem in that the search time is longer than the time required to search for black and white image information.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made by focusing on the problems of the conventional art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing device that can shorten the search time for color image information. be.

[Embodiments of the invention] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

The document reader 1 converts a color image into an electrical signal using COD or the like, and the high-speed printer 2 records the image on a recording material 2 based on the information converted into an electrical signal. The operation unit 3 is used to issue operational commands to the color image file device.

The CPU 4 performs various processes based on commands from the operation unit 3, and has a search function to search for color image information based on predetermined monochromatic image information. It should be noted that the monochrome image information in item 2 is monochrome image information or arbitrary primary color image information.

The RAM 5 temporarily stores index information created by the CPU 4 when an image file is created in the working memory of the CPU 4. Image file 6
has a recording medium such as an optical disk or a magneto-optical disk, and is capable of writing and reading a large amount of image information, and this image file storage section 6 stores primary color image information obtained by separating a predetermined color image into primary colors. They are stored respectively.

The companding processing unit 7 performs compressed encoding on the image information when storing the information in an image file, and decompresses and decodes the image information to obtain the original image information when reading the information.

Image memory 8 for R (RE[)), G (GR
Image memory 9 for B (BLUE)
The image memory 10 stores image information read by the document reader 1 in three primary colors (that is, red, green, and blue).
It is a memory that temporarily stores the image information read from the image file 6 and decoded by the companding processor 7 for each primary color.

The path line 11 connects each of the blocks described in "2" and transmits image information, and also connects a communication modem, etc. (not shown).

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained.

First, a registration mode for registering predetermined color image information will be described.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the registration mode in the embodiment described above.

When the registration mode is started (SO), the color image original read by the original reader L (Sl) is separated into three primary colors, each of which is converted into an electrical signal. Memory 9.
It is stored on the B image memory 10 (S2). These stored image information are encoded one by one (
compressed) and sequentially sent to the image file storage unit 6 (S
3). That is, for example, data stored in the R image memory 8- is encoded and sent to the image file storage section 6.

In this way, when all the data has been encoded in the image memory 8-, it is determined whether or not it has been stored in the image file storage section 6 (S4). In step S5), the compression ratio of the primary color image information for one primary color is calculated, the CPU 4 calculates the compression ratio, and the value is written into the RAM 5. That is, in the case of item 2, the compression rate of the information when the data in the R image memory 81: is encoded is written into the RAM 5.

Then, the encoded information on the R image memory 8 is registered as one subfile of the image file being registered (S6). Then, the other image memory (G image memory 9 or B image memory 10)
It is determined whether or not the second operation has been completed (37), and if it has not been completed, the process returns to S3 and the operations from S3 to S6 are repeated for the remaining image memory.

Then, when the second operation is completed, the one with the highest compression rate among the three registered subfiles is saved in the RAM.
Select from 5 and select 1 of the index information of the image file.
Create as one. The above index information is used when searching and reading later. Then, information for managing subfiles including this index information is added and registered as index information (SO).

Then, the registration of the read color image information as one image file is completed (S10).

Next, the search mode will be explained.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of search mode I in the embodiment described in -1-.

First, start the search mode (520), and decide whether to search in a single color image or in multicolor mode (3).
21). When searching with a multicolor image, select the image file to be read out (S28), read out the subfiles for the R river, G river, and B, decode each of these image information, and write the memo IJ 8, 9, 10 Noso i Soleni expansion L (329), CR those primary color image information at the same time
Display on T (S30). Then, it is determined whether the image displayed on the CRT is the image file that is being sought (531), and if it is not the image file that is being sought, S28
Go back to Printer 2 if it is the file you are looking for.
A color image is output (S32).

On the other hand, when searching for a monochromatic image in S21, first an image file to be read is selected (S22). Then, in order to read the selected image file for search,
The color of the subfile is selected (323), the selected subfile is decoded and expanded into an image memory corresponding to the selected subfile (524), and displayed on the CRT as a monochrome image (S25). When performing this display, an arbitrary primary color image may be used, or a monochrome display may be used.

Then, it is determined whether the image in the subfile -1- is the image file that is being searched for (326), and if it is different from the image that is being searched for, the process returns to S22 and another image file is selected again. If the file being searched for is displayed, the remaining two subfiles are also encoded and expanded into memory 527), and a color image is output by the printer (S32).

” In the first embodiment, the search is performed using a monochromatic image, but instead, the search may be performed using a mixture of two predetermined colors, and the monochromatic image shown in FIG. It can also be set for searching as . In addition to RGB, YMC (yellow, magenta, cyan) may be used as the three primary colors, and Y (R, -
A luminance/chrominance system signal such as Y)CB-Y) or YIQ may be used.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, when searching for color image information, there is an effect that the search time for the image information is shortened.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the registration mode in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the search mode in the above embodiment. l...Manuscript league, 2...Printer, 4...CPU, 6...Image file storage unit.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) An image processing device comprising: storage means for storing primary color image information obtained by separating predetermined color image information into primary colors; and search means for searching for the color image information based on monochromatic image information. . (2) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the monochrome image information is monochrome image information or arbitrary primary color image information.