JPS62180665A - Picture processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain a picture reading even when no read density is designated by a user, by providing a capacity calculating means which calculates a storage capacity required for the storage of the picture image from a designated range, a capacity comparing means which compares the capacity of a memory with a capacity obtained from the above calculation, and a density changing means which changes density in the picture reading. CONSTITUTION:When the picture is designated using a range designating means 13, a capacity calculating means 14 calculates that a memory of 15k bits is required to store the picture. A capacity comparing means 16 compares a value of 15k bits with that of 16k bits stored at a memory capacity storing means 15, and since the value of a picture data is smaller than that of the latter, it switches a switching circuit 23 to a one pulse generating means 21 side. Therefore, a density control means 1 sends out a pulse signal one pulse after another to stepping motors 11 and 12 for one step movement request. A reading control means 19 receives the pulse signal, and moves an optical sensor 30 in all directions, and the picture is read, then being stored at a storing means 20 having a storage capacity of 16k bits.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field]:' The present invention relates to an image processing device having an image reading function, and more particularly to an image processing device suitable for effectively utilizing a memory for storing images.

[Conventional technology] ・ .

Conventionally, when reading a specific part of an image drawn on a sheet of paper, an image processing device having an image reading function uses a range specifying means such as a keyboard to specify the reading range, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 59-141J868. was specified and the image was read.

An image processing apparatus according to the prior art will be explained using FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the image processing device. In FIG. 2, 1 is paper on which an image is drawn, 2 is a platen that moves the paper 1 up and down, 3 is a sensor that is an image reading means, and 4 is a platen that moves the paper 1 up and down.
5 is the carriage carrying sensor 3, and 5 is carriage 4.
11 is a step motor that rotates the platen 2, and 12 is a step motor that moves the carriage 4 left and right.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the image processing device.

6 is a carriage control system that controls the carriage 4;

Reference numeral 7 denotes a read control unit that controls read data, a read range, etc., and 8 a memory that stores the read data.

In conventional image processing devices, in order to read an image drawn on paper, the reading range is specified using the ``2 down'' left/right keys (generally called cursor keys) on the keyboard. That is, by rotating the platen 2 using the keyboard and moving the paper]- up and down, and moving the carriage 4 left and right, the upper left corner 9 and lower right corner 10 of the image are moved.
was specified.

After specifying the image reading range as described in -1-, the image processing device causes the sensor 3 to scan this reading range using the platen 2° carriage 4, and the reading control unit 7 reads the image data from the sensor 3. was stored in memory 8.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in the image processing apparatus according to the above-mentioned prior art, no consideration is given to whether or not the range-specified image fits within the memory 8.

That is, when an image reading range is designated and a reading operation is performed thereafter, the image may not fit in the memory 8. Therefore, the user had to instruct the image processing device whether to read coarsely or finely depending on the size of the reading range.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus that allows a user to specify a reading range without being aware of the memory capacity and thereby read an image within a specified range.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a capacity calculation means for calculating the storage capacity required to store an image from a specified range, and a capacity comparison for comparing the memory capacity and the capacity obtained by the above calculation. A new circuit is provided having a density changing means and a density changing means for changing the density of image reading.

[Effect]

The storage capacity required to store the specified range of images is calculated by the capacity calculation means, the memory capacity and the capacity required for storage are compared by the capacity comparison means, and the image is stored in the memory by the comparison means. When it is determined that the image cannot be accommodated, the reading density of the image is coarsened using a density changing means. As a result, when the user specifies the reading range,
Images can be read without specifying the reading density.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 13 denotes a range specifying means for specifying the image reading range, and 14 denotes a capacity calculation means for calculating the storage capacity required to store the image from the specified image reading range.

15 is a memory capacity storage means for storing the capacity of the storage means 20 for storing images; 16 is a comparison between the capacity obtained by the capacity calculation means 14 and the capacity value stored in the memory capacity storage means 15; 17 is a density control means for controlling the image reading density; 18 is an image reading means for reading the image; 19 is an image reading means 1
8 and a reading control means for scanning the image reading means 18 and storing data read from the image reading means 18 in the storage means 20, and 20 is a storage means for storing the image data.

The range specifying means 13 specifies the reading range by directly inputting the vertical and horizontal reading range in meters from the reading start position of the carriage (upper left course 9 in FIG. 2) using a keyboard or the like. As explained using FIG. 2, use the cursor keys to move the carriage to the left side, use the return key etc. to specify the reading start position, and press the cursor keys again to move the carriage to the left side.
The step motor 12 is rotated to move the carriage to the lower right corner, and after the movement, the return key or the like is pressed to designate the reading end position and designate the reading range.

FIG. 4 shows the density control means 17. A more specific example of the reading control means 19 will be shown. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 21 denotes one-pulse generating means for generating a pulse signal for causing the step motor to move one step.

22 is a 2-pulse generating means for generating a pulse signal for moving by 2 steps; 23 is a changeover switch;
The density control means 17 is configured as described above.

Further, this density control means 17 is also a pitch control means for controlling the reading pitch.

Reference numeral 30 denotes an optical sensor that reads an image, and constitutes the image reading means 18.

12 is a carriage step motor for moving the carriage 4; 11 is a platen step motor for rotating the platen 2; 28 is an amplification means for amplifying the signal from the optical sensor 30; and 29 is a signal obtained from the amplification means 28. This is a writing means for writing image data into the storage means 20, and the above constitutes the reading control means 19.

Furthermore, when one pulse signal is input to each of the step motors 11 and 12, the motors rotate by one step.
As a result, carriage 4. The platen 2 moves and rotates.

Thereby, the optical sensor 30 can move 0.2 m in one step.
Suppose that it moves n.

Suppose now that an image with a size of 30 m in height and 20 m in width as shown in FIG. 5 is to be read. Further, it is assumed that the storage capacity of the storage means 20 is 16 bits, and the value of this storage capacity is stored in the memory capacity storage means 15.

When the image in FIG. 5 is specified using the range specifying means 13,
The capacity calculation means 14 is a light source, as described above.

Since the sensor moves 0.2 m vertically and horizontally for each pulse by the pulse signal from the density control means 17, it is calculated that 15 bits of memory are required to store the image shown in FIG. The capacity comparison means 16 compares the bits in 15 with the value of bits in 16 stored in the memory capacity storage means 15, and in this case, since the image data is smaller, the switch circuit 23 generates one pulse. Switch to the means 21 side. Then, the density control means sends a pulse signal one pulse at a time to the step motors 1, 4, . . . in response to a 1-step movement request. ,, Send it to 12. Upon receiving this pulse signal, the reading control means 19 moves the optical sensor 30 upward, downward, leftward and rightward by 2 mm, reads the image shown in FIG. 5, and stores it in the storage means 20 having a storage capacity of 16 bits.

Next, the case of reading an image of 50 fields vertically and 40 horizontally as shown in FIG. 6 will be described.

When the range specifying means 13 specifies that an image of the size shown in FIG. 6(a) should be read, the capacity calculating means 14 will:
Since the optical sensor 30 moves vertically and horizontally by 0.21 m, it is calculated that 50 bits of memory are required to store the image shown in FIG. 6(a).

The capacity comparison means 16 compares this 5'OK bit with the value of 16 bits stored in the memory capacity storage means 15, and since the value stored in the storage means 20 is smaller,
The switch 1 circuit □23 is switched to the 2-pulse generating means 22 side. Therefore, the density control means 17 outputs two pulse signals to the step motors 11 and 12 in response to a one-step movement request. That is, in the above example, as shown in FIG. 7(a), 5 step movement: 5 pulses are output at the time of request, and the optical sensor 30 moves 1+nm.
In the case of the example in FIG. 6, as shown in FIG. 7(b), 10 pulses are output when a 5-step movement is requested, and 21ff
11 moves. In this way: Since the optical sensor 30 moves at twice the pitch as in the previous example, in the image of the size shown in Fig. 6, the height of 50 mm is as shown in Fig. 6 (b). 125 dots, horizontal 40+nm is 100
The storage capacity of the entire image is 12.5
．． becomes a bit. The 12.5 bit image data read by the optical sensor 30 is stored in the storage means 20 by the writing means 29.

As described above, the moving pitch of the optical sensor 30 is controlled by the density control means 17, which is a pitch control means, according to the size of the image.
By switching between the storage means 20 and 20, large images can also be
can be stored in

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the moving pitch of the optical sensor 30 is changed by controlling the number of pulse signals output to the step motor to read an image. Optical sensor 30
It is also possible to thin out the image data when storing the image data without changing the movement pitch of the image data. FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention.

In FIG. 8, 32 is read out from the optical sensor 3o,
This information thinning means decimates the image data amplified by the amplification means 29 by 1 bit per 2 bits, and the 1-pulse generating means 21 and the information thinning means 32 constitute the density control means 17.

As described above, assume that an image having the size shown in FIG. 6(a) is read. In the example of FIG. 8, the pulse signal sent to the step motor 1.12 is output by the 1-pulse generating means 21, so the optical sensor 30 moves vertically and horizontally every 0.2 mm. Therefore, from the optical sensor 3o, the vertical 50IIf
250 dots for 11 days.

Image data of 200 dots is output for 40 rm horizontally. The image data amplified by the amplification means 28 is thinned out by one dot for every two dots by the information thinning means 32. As a result, 250 vertical dots (250 pitch 1-) are thinned out to 125 dots, and 200 horizontal dots are thinned out to 100 dots, so that the image data becomes 12.5 bits and is stored in the storage means 20 by the writing means 29. be done.

As described above, it is also possible to store large images in the storage means by thinning out the image data.

In the following two embodiments, the case where the image data is reduced to 1/4 and stored in the storage means is shown. However, by multiplying the image data by 1/m, such as 1-/3 in the horizontal direction, the image data can be multiplied by 1 to 1/n, and it is possible to control the reading density more precisely and store the image. I can do it.

In addition, in the two embodiments described in Section 2, the present invention was explained using monochrome images. However, the present invention can be applied even to color images or images with gradation. For example, in the case of a gradation image, in addition to thinning out the vertical and horizontal dots as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, it is also possible to thin out the gradation data. In short, the image data may be divided into 1/n according to the range of the image to be read and stored in the storage means.

In the above embodiments, the case has been described in which the capacity of the storage means 20 is fixed and the reading density is changed depending on the size of the image.

In general, an image processing device has, in addition to the storage means 2o for storing images, another storage means for storing characters and the like. By using the technique of the present invention, this other storage means can also be effectively utilized.

FIG. 9 shows the usage division of storage means. 33 is a storage means of the image processing device, and of this storage means 3.123, a part is used as the storage means 20 for storing images, and a part is used as the means 34 for storing characters etc. . It is now assumed that there are few characters etc. to be stored and there is an unused area 35. At this time, the storage means 20 for storing images and the unused area 35 are combined to form a storage means for storing images, and the total storage capacity is stored in the memory capacity storage means 15 shown in FIG.

By changing the value of the memory capacity storage means 15 in this way, it becomes possible to read even larger images with normal reading density, and it also becomes possible to store even larger images in the storage means.

Conversely, by reducing the value of the memory capacity storage means 15, even when the switching of the reading density is smaller than the image shown in FIG. It is possible to memorize characters, etc., and to make effective use of the storage means.

Also, first create a sentence, etc., and when the writing is finished, calculate the memory capacity of the unused area of the user area of the storage means, and store the calculated memory capacity value in the memory capacity storage means 15 before proceeding. If the image reading operation described in the embodiment is performed, the memory can be used most effectively.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, by changing the reading density according to the image reading range, even large images can be stored in a predetermined storage means. Furthermore, there is no need for the user to control the reading density while considering the memory capacity before reading an image, resulting in an extremely user-friendly image processing apparatus.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image processing device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an external view of the image processing device, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an image processing device according to the prior art, and FIG. 4 is a density control diagram. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a small image; FIG.
The figure is a schematic diagram showing a large image, Figure 7 is a graph showing the amount of sensor movement, and Figure 8 is a graph showing the density control means and reading control means 13.
. . . Range specification means, 14. . . Capacity calculation means. 16... Capacity comparison means, 17... Density control means. 18... Image reading means, 32... Information thinning means.・16・ Figure 1 Figure 2! 3 Figure Sensor Carriage' 4 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 6 10 15 [Stetsur] Also at the Ste Nobu platform for movement requests 9 Figure

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An image reading means for reading an image, a range specifying means for specifying a reading range of the image, and a storage means for storing image information read by the image reading means;
In the image processing apparatus, the image processing apparatus includes: storage capacity calculation means for calculating the storage capacity necessary to store image information from the reading range obtained from the range specifying means; and density control for controlling the image reading density of the image reading means. means and
capacity comparison means for comparing the storage capacity required for storage obtained from the storage capacity calculation means with the storage capacity of the storage means; the reading range is obtained from the range specification means; and the image information is determined by the storage capacity calculation means. , the storage capacity of the storage means is compared with the above-mentioned required storage capacity by the capacity comparison means, and when the required storage capacity exceeds the capacity of the storage means, the density control means An image processing device characterized in that an image is read by changing the reading density of an image reading means. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the density control means comprises pitch control means for controlling the reading interval of the image reading means. 3. In the image processing apparatus according to claim 1, the density control means comprises an information thinning means that thins out the image information read by the image reading means to create new image information. Processing equipment.