JPS62235868A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable executing optional image processing without a troublesome operation by inputting a variety of information requred for image processing by the use of an input means inputting two-dimensional coordinates. CONSTITUTION:A reader 1 transfers an original on a platen 1-1 into an electrical signal photoelectrically, reads it, and transfers the picture signal to a printer 3 through a communication line 4. If a digitizer 2 is not connected, a variety of images are processed based on processing inforamtion inputted from an operation part 1-1 provided on the reader 1. When the digitizer 2 is connected, images are processed based on the processing information inputted from the operation part 1-1 in the reader 1 as well as processing information inputted from the digitizer 2, whereby an operator easily sets a highly functional processing in an image processor.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field] The present invention relates to an image processing function that electrically handles one image information.

[Prior art]

2. Description of the Related Art Image processing apparatuses, such as facsimile machines and digital copying machines, are known that photoelectrically read a document image and electrically process the obtained image signal.

In addition, among such image processing apparatuses, those equipped with an image processing function of extracting and erasing a desired area of a document image, or enlarging or reducing the image at an arbitrary magnification have been proposed.

However, in order to achieve such an image processing function, it is necessary to input information for specifying an area and a magnification.

In addition, image processing devices are becoming more sophisticated due to the improved performance of controlling microcomputers, but in order to achieve high functionality, various control information must be set, which increases the burden on the operator. ing.

〔the purpose〕

In view of the above-mentioned points, it is an object of the present invention to enable an operator to easily set high-performance processing in an image processing apparatus, and to enable effective use of various functions provided in the apparatus.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on examples to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 1 is an external view of an embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a document reading device (hereinafter referred to as a reader); 2 is a digitizer which is a coordinate input device; 3 is an image forming device (hereinafter referred to as a printer) that forms a regenerated image on recording paper;
4 and 5 are transmission lines for communicating various information, 6 is a paper cassette, and 7 is a paper discharge tray.

In this embodiment, the reader l converts the original on the platen 1-IJz into an electrical signal by photoelectric conversion, reads the image signal, and communicates the image signal to the printer 3 via the communication line 4. When the printer 3 receives the image signal, it forms an image on a sheet of paper based on the image signal, for example, by a well-known electrostatic recording method, and discharges the recording sheet on which one image has been recorded to the sheet discharge tray 7.

The photoelectric conversion method for reading a document and the electrostatic recording method for forming an image using electrical signals are well-known technologies, so their explanation will be omitted.

FIG. 2 shows an operating section 1-2 provided in the reader 1.
In the figure, 201 is a start key for instructing the start of document reading and image formation (hereinafter referred to as copying operation). 202
is a reset key that returns each display to the basic standard state, 2
03 is a stop key for stopping the copy operation.

204 is a numeric keypad for inputting numbers from O to 9.

205 is a clear key for clearing numerical input, and 206 is an enter key used for various settings. Reference numeral 207 is a sheet number display section, and 208 is an error display section that indicates various errors (inoperable states) of the printer or reader. 209 is a paper size display section, 210 is an indicator for selecting a paper cassette, key 211 is a cassette selection key for selecting a paper cassette, and key 212 is an AE (automatic density adjustment) or photo mode switching key.

The status is displayed on indicator 213.

214 is a copy density display area, these are density keys 215
It can be switched manually. The key 21B is a variable magnification designation key for selecting a variable magnification mode.

An indicator 219 displays the status. The indicator 219 is the same size, A4→A3°A3→A4. B4
→ Displays 6 types of A4 standard magnification 1 zoom magnification that can be specified in 1% increments from 50% to 20%, xY zoom magnification that can independently specify vertical and horizontal magnification. key 216
is a key for selecting 1 magnification, trimming A point, and trimming B point. Then, depending on the content selected with the key 216, 5 display sections 222 (X: main scanning direction), 22
Display the magnification and length in 3 (Y: paper feeding direction). Also,
The selected display content is displayed on the indicator 217. The up/down keys 220 and 221 are on the display section 222
, 223 are keys for raising and lowering the displayed contents (numeric values).

In this embodiment, the reader l has a trimming function. The trimming function specifies two points on the document based on the distance from the origin in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning (paper feeding) direction.
(trimming point A, trimming point B)
, refers to the function of extracting only the image within a rectangular portion with these two points as both ends of the opposing line and displaying it on the paper.

FIG. 3 shows an external view of the coordinate input device 2 (hereinafter referred to as digitizer) in this embodiment. The digitizer 2 consists of a two-dimensional coordinate input board 304 and a touch pen 305 for specifying an arbitrary position on the input board. 301 is the coordinate specified part, which has an area equivalent to A31, and is 1 mm in both the X and Y directions.
There is an electrode for each, and when pressed by a touch pen 305, information on the coordinates from the origin 304 is notified to the reader l via the cable 5.

Also, 302 is a part for selecting the operation mode,
The structure is similar to the coordinate designation part 301, and various modes can be designated by selecting this part with the touch pen 305. The reader l is also notified of this part of the information as coordinate information via the cable 5. 303 is 1 of the coordinate specification part
This part is also used to specify the magnification.

The method of specifying the magnification using this portion 303 will be described later according to a flowchart.

FIG. 4 shows an internal configuration diagram of the reader I, which will be explained below.

The optical lens 401 converts the original image placed on the original table l-1 into C
0D402. It is used to focus the image on h. The original image is sequentially scanned line by line by an optical tracing system (not shown), but since this reading technique is well known, detailed explanation will be omitted.

The CCD 402 converts the shading of the original image into an electrical signal. ′
This electrical signal is read out by a CCDCD drive path circuit 403, amplified by an amplifier circuit 404, and converted into a multi-value digital signal for each pixel by an analog-to-digital converter (A/D converter) 405. Further, the digital signal is sent to a shading correction circuit 406 to remove shading caused by uneven light emission of the light source, etc., and then sent to a binarization circuit 408.
It is then converted into a binary digital image signal. In addition, the multivalued digital image signal is processed by the multi-kneading correction circuit 40.
6 to a peak hold circuit 407, where the data value for recognition of the original document is held. The held data is taken into Cp u 41'6.

2 ti (t, tyo,, tsua, Jah. □o1 give□
, A method using two constant binarization levels and dither RO
A selector 409 selects and switches between two types of binarization methods, a so-called dither method, which uses a binarization level that is periodically changed within a predetermined matrix φ size in M41L. The dither method uses the 2 (+fi' signal to reproduce halftones in a pseudo manner, and is widely used in facsimiles, etc.). It is possible to obtain an optimal copy image by selecting the dithering method for originals that require gradations such as photographs. Sequentially reads the dither pattern recorded at the address.

The image information that has become binary data is written to the line buffer 413 via the binarization circuit □ circuit. The line buffer 413 is configured based on the magnification setting operation (c p u'4
A lock is input from the clock circuit 415 that generates various clocks according to the magnification according to instructions from the line buffer 413, and the magnified image signal is transferred to the line buffer by controlling the writing or reading of the line buffer 413 using the clock. 413.

A gate circuit 414, which gates image signals with support from the CPU 416, gates image signals outside the designated trimming area as will be described later, and outputs the gated signals as VDO signals to the printer.

CPU416, which is a microcomputer, is CPU
Read only memory (ROM) 417 connected with lotus
Random access memory (RAM) 418, I10 port 420 that drives various parts and accesses information with external registers, timer circuit 421, and serial circuit 4 that communicates various information with the printer according to the program written in the memory.
22) It controls the coordinate input section 419 that inputs coordinate information from the digitizer 2, and also controls the operation section 424 via the key display drive circuit 423.

Figure 5 shows the microcomputer CPU416 of the reader l.
The operation is shown in a flowchart.

This will be explained below. If the reader is in the process of copying, it performs the copy process (5501, 5502).This program is configured to perform a series of operations by sequentially repeating each process and stepping up the time using a timer or the like. Therefore, once the copying process starts reading the original, the photoelectric conversion unit automatically outputs an image signal, so other steps are not processed until the reading end signal is input from the photoelectric conversion unit. Do the following.

Then, if any key on the operation unit 424 is input (S503), it is determined whether it is the copy start key 201, and if the input is the copy start key (S503).
04), the copying operation is started (5505).On the other hand, in the case of other key inputs, processing corresponding to each key is performed (S506).The processing of each key will be described later. Also,
If there is coordinate input from digitizer 2 (5507),
Coordinate processing is performed (3508), which will be described later. Then, perform information communication with the printer5509
).

If there are any errors, they will be displayed and then the process will return to checking during copying.

Next, details of each key process in step 5506 in FIG. 5 will be explained using FIG. 6.

If copying is in progress (S601), keys other than the stop key 203 are not accepted (S602), if the stop key is input, copy stop processing is performed (S603), and if there is a key input next, it is cleared during setting by digitizer 2. (S604) This will be explained in detail in the coordinate processing.

Then, the process shown in 3601-S&l,6 is performed for each key (S605).

If the reset key 202 is input, each display returns to the bull mark mode display (3606). In this embodiment, the number of sheets is 1.
sheets, automatic density adjustment (AE).

This is the numeric key part 204 for the 0th order O to 9 with the standard mode being equal size and no trimming, but when inputting with the numeric keypad 204, the designated display area, that is, 5 normally the number of sheets display area 207
In addition, when specifying trimming, which will be described later, the numbers input on the xi or Y display sections 222 and 223 are displayed (S60).
7), also when inputting the clear key 205, use the numeric keypad 204
Similarly, set the designated display area to 0 (l for the number of sheets) (
S60B), When the cassette switching key 211 is input, the upper and lower cassettes 6 of the printer 3 are sequentially switched and the indicator 210 and paper size 209 are displayed (S609), When the main key 206 is input will be explained in FIG. 7 (S610).

When the AE mode key 212 is input.

By pressing the key, AE mode, photo mode, AE
Switch the none mode sequentially and display it on the indicator 213 (S jl l), - when the density up/down key 215 is input, move the display of the density display section 214 left and right when in photo mode or no AE mode ( 56
12).

When the variable magnification mode key 218 is input, the variable magnification display is sequentially switched from normal magnification to
S613), except for the XY zoom display, the magnification display is
It is displayed using only the display section 222, and the Y display section is blank.When the 0 magnification display switching key 216 is input, the magnification, trimming A point, and trimming B are displayed.
While switching the point display indicator 217,
, display the magnification and points on the Y display portions 222 and 223,
If there is no trimming (S614), the point display will be a bar (-) display. X up/down key 220
．． When the Y up/down key 221 is input, the contents displayed on the display sections 222, 223 are displayed up or down (S615, 5616).
7 knob down key 220. Y up/down key 2'21
In some cases, it is possible to increase or decrease not only the numerical value input using the numeric keypad 204 but also the numerical value input using the digitizer 2 as described later.

With reference to FIG. 7, details of the operation when the tree key 206 in FIG. 6 is input will be explained. In this embodiment, the trimming point can be set using the main key 206 only while the trimming coordinates are displayed on the display sections 222 and 223. Therefore, it is necessary to determine whether the trimming point or B point is being displayed (5701), and if so, it is determined whether this is the first main key input, and if it is the first time, the X display section is
It blinks (S702, 5704). At this time, as explained in FIG. 6, when the numeric keypad 204 or the clear key 205 is pressed, numeric input or clearing is performed on the X display section 222. Then, when the end key 206 is pressed for the second time, the blinking of the X display section 222 is stopped.5703.5705
), the Y display section 223 flashes O (S706). At this time, input using the numeric keypad 2-04 or the clear key 205 is performed on the Y display section. When the main key 206 is input for the third time, the Y display section 2230 blinks to 1hl, (S707),
.

Complete input of both Y coordinates.

Next, the details of the digitizer coordinate processing shown in step 5508 in FIG. 5 will be explained using FIG. 8.

In this embodiment, when arbitrary coordinates within the paper area are specified using the touch pen 305 on the digitizer 2h, the specified coordinates are displayed in mm if the display sections 222 and 223 are set to display the trimming point or the B point. be done. Further, when the magnification display is set using the key 216, the magnification is displayed on the display sections 222 and 223 based on the coordinates specified using the touch pen 305.

That is, when trimming is specified in the portion 302 of FIG. 3, the coordinates subsequently specified with the touch pen 305 are set as the A point, and the next specified coordinates are set as the B point.

In addition, if the zoom magnification or XYY zoom magnification is specified in the portion 302 but the magnification is not specified, if trimming is specified, the specified trimming can be performed by specifying the next paper area 301 with the touch pen 305. The image of the area is scaled to the designated coordinates using the touch pen 305, and if trimming is not designated, the designated paper size is scaled to the designated coordinates. In addition, when zooming, the magnification ratio is calculated based on the X direction of the coordinates, and when xYY zooming, the
The magnification ratios in the direction and Y direction are calculated separately.

Further, if zoom magnification change or XYY zoom magnification is specified and magnification is specified, area 303 in FIG. 3 is recognized as the magnification. In the case of zoom magnification, the X-direction coordinates of the 303 area are recognized as the common magnification for main scanning and sub-scanning,
In the case of XYY zoom magnification, the X coordinate and Y coordinate are recognized as the respective magnifications.

In addition, to specify using the part 302 in FIG. 3, specify 302 with the touch pen 305, and then press 301 or 303.
This is valid when you specify , and if you operate the operation unit of the reader I during the process, the specification with the touch pen 305 is reset and you have to make the specification again.

This avoids erroneous operations.

In FIG. 8, coordinate input is ignored during copying, and touch pen input is recognized when copying is not in progress (S801
), if the position specified with the touch pen is part 302 of digitizer 2, it is determined whether it is trimming designation, zoom magnification designation, or XY zoom magnification variable designation 1 ratio ratio designation, and then Accordingly, set any of the trimming A specifying flag, variable magnification setting flag, and XY magnification setting flag magnification specifying flag (S808, 809
, 810° 812), If a magnification is specified while the magnification change flag is set, the magnification setting flag is reset (5811.S813). If it is within the paper area 301 (S802), it is determined whether the digitizer is specifying trimming flag is set (5804), and if point) A is being specified (S805), the coordinates are displayed on the display section 222, 223 as the coordinates of point A. Display the value.

If not, the designated coordinate value is displayed as point B (S806.5807).

The trimming specification flag is not set, and
If the magnification change setting flag according to the digitizer instruction is not set (S814), and furthermore, trimming A is being displayed (S815).

Display point A coordinates. If trimming B is being displayed (S816), it is displayed as the point) B coordinate.

If the variable magnification or xY variable magnification setting flag is set, it is necessary to determine whether the 1 magnification flag is set (5817), and if the magnification is specified, the position indicated by the touch pen 305 is within the area 303 in FIG. 5818), if it is within the area, then if it is XY zoom/magnification (5819), the X and Y coordinates of the specified coordinates are converted to the magnification ratio in the X direction and Y direction, respectively, and the display unit 222,2
23 (S821), if the zoom magnification is changed,
The coordinates of the direction are converted and displayed as a magnification (S820).

If the magnification specifying flag is not set, it is difficult to determine whether the XY zoom magnification is being changed (5.822).

For XY zoom magnification, the trimming area is defined if cropping is specified, and the specified paper size is defined by a rectangle whose diagonal ends are the coordinates specified by the touch pen 305 and the origin. It is assumed that the rectangle is scaled separately in the X and Y directions, and the respective magnifications are calculated and the display units 222.22 display the respective magnifications in the X and Y directions.
3 (S824).

If the XY zoom is not variable magnification, the magnification is calculated based on the specified X-direction coordinate value and displayed (S823).

As described above, in this embodiment, when the digitizer 2 is not connected, various image processing is performed based on the processing information input from the operation section 1-1 provided in the reader I. Furthermore, when the digitizer 2 is connected, image processing is performed based on the processing information input from the digitizer 2 as well as the processing information input from the operation unit 1-1 of the reader I. Therefore, the operation section 1-1 of the reader l
Now, the digitizer 2 can be used to designate a region, which is a time-consuming task that requires measuring the region position using a scale and inputting the numerical value. Also,
Even if digitizer 2 is connected, input from operation unit 1-1 is not invalidated, and image processing can be performed by combining control information from both input means, making it possible to perform input operations that take advantage of the strengths of each input means. Become.

As explained above, by making it possible to input coordinate information, magnification information, and area information using a coordinate input device, it has become possible to realize highly functional image processing with simple operations.

In addition, it has been made possible to select whether magnification information is treated as common information for main scanning and sub-scanning, or as separate information.
By specifying one point, the magnification in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction can be set at the same time, making it easier to specify the magnification and realizing higher functionality.

In addition, when changing the magnification of an original to obtain a regenerated image, the size of the desired copy is input using the coordinate input device, and the magnification is automatically calculated by the device, making it very convenient for the operator. We were able to create a device that is easy to use.

In addition, in a coordinate input device, by treating coordinate information outside the foot habitus area as control information for the reading device, the coordinate input device not only outputs coordinate information, but can also be realized with a cheap and simple hardware configuration. At the same time, since the host machine (League on the Kinomi style side) can decide what kind of control information to treat each piece of coordinate information as, it becomes easy to design a highly versatile system.

The input information from the digitizer is not limited to these, but the digitizer can also be used to input various information for other image processing, such as density specification information for one image, information on the distance and direction of image movement, etc. You can also enter it.

Further, the output device is not limited to a printer, but a 1 mt square file transmitter can also be used.

〔effect〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to input various information for image processing using an input means for inputting two-dimensional coordinates, so that arbitrary image processing can be performed without the need for complicated operations. This makes it possible to perform the following operations and fully utilize the functions of the image processing device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an external view of this embodiment, Fig. 2 is an external view of the league's operation section, Fig. 3 is an external view of the coordinate input device, Fig. 4 is an internal circuit diagram of the league, and Fig. 5 is an external view of the league's operation section. Flowchart diagram of the operation of a microcomputer. Fig. 6 is a flowchart of the key processing operation of the league's microcomputer, Fig. 7 is a flowchart of the tree key processing operation of the league's microcomputer, and Fig. 8 is a flowchart of the digitizer coordinate processing of the league's microcomputer. , 1 is a document reading device, and 2 is a coordinate input device. 3 is an image forming device, 4.5 is a transmission line, and 6 is a paper cassette. 7 is a paper discharge tray.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) It has a reading means for reading a manuscript, a processing means for processing the read manuscript image, a numerical input means for inputting numerical information, and a coordinate input means for inputting two-dimensional coordinate information, and the numerical input means for inputting two-dimensional coordinate information. An image processing apparatus characterized in that it performs image processing based on numerical information and coordinate information input from the coordinate input means and the coordinate input means. (2) An image processing apparatus according to claim (1), wherein an image area is specified by the numerical value input means and the coordinate input means. (3) In the image processing apparatus according to claim (2), the image of the document area specified by the numerical value input means or the coordinate input means is aligned with the image area specified by the coordinate input means. An image processing device characterized in that it performs magnification processing.