JPS63109059A - Image processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable an image to be outputted to an arbitrary position in an inserting manner, by providing an image output means not taking in data into an image storage device synchronized with reading of images in terms of multiple-valued image data, and synchronizing image data arbitrary formed separately on a binary image data storage device with the output of the images. CONSTITUTION:The addresses, in a main scanning direction and an auxiliary scanning direction, of a start point and an end point corresponding to a region specified on a CRT 8 are set into a start point address register and an end point address register by a CPU 32. When starting of an image-forming operation is commanded through a keyboard 31, the CPU 32 starts a manuscript reader 2 to perform a reading operation. Binary image data is outputted from an image storage device 45 in synchronism with a multiple-valued image sent to an I/O interface 37. Based on the image data sent from the I/O interface 37, a synthetized image is outputted by an image printer 3. Thus, it is possible to output images in which a multiple-valued image and an arbitrarily formed binary image coexist.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image processing system that electrically processes image information.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of device reads image information as binary image data, stores it in an image memory, performs processing such as combining part of the image with an image created on a CRT, etc. in the image memory, and then converts the resulting image. This is similar to outputting an image using a laser printer or the like.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in the conventional example described above, if the image is read as multivalued image data that can clearly express halftones, etc., a large capacity image memory is required, which has the disadvantage of making the device larger and more expensive. there were.

[Means for Solving the Problems (and Effects)] The present invention provides an image output means that is synchronized with image reading using multivalued image data and is not captured into an image memory, and an image that is arbitrarily created on a separate binary image memory. It is possible to insert and output an image at any position by synchronizing the data with the image output, and uses multivalued image data and image memory that can clearly express halftones without using a large capacity image memory. This enables the composite output of image data that can be arbitrarily created and sewn.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained in more detail below using the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external connection diagram of an image processing system to which the present invention is applied. 1 is a microcomputer RAM for system control
This is a control unit (referred to as a workstation) equipped with an internal memory consisting of a ROM, etc., and an external memory consisting of a floppy disk, a cartridge disk, etc. Reference numeral 2 denotes an image reading device, which is a document reader that converts document information of a document placed on a document table into an electrical signal into image information having gradation (for example, 64 gradations) in pixel units using an image pickup device such as a CCD; Reference numeral 3 denotes an image printer such as a laser beam printer that records a multi-tone image on a recording material based on information converted into a multi-tone electrical signal. 11,12. ta
is a cable that electrically connects each input/output device.

Further, 20 is a keyboard provided in the control unit 1,
By operating this keyboard 20, system operation commands, etc. can be issued, and arbitrary images can be created. Reference numeral 8 denotes a CRT device that displays system control information, etc., or displays created images.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the image processing system shown in FIG. Each block corresponding to that in FIG. 1 is given the same number as in FIG.

First, each block within the control section 1 will be explained. Reference numeral 31 denotes a keyboard, which corresponds to the keyboard 2° shown in the first diagram, and is used by the operator to input system operation commands. 32 is a central processing unit (CPU) consisting of a microcomputer (for example, 68000 manufactured by Motorola).

Reference numeral 33 denotes a read-only memory ROM, in which a control program and a system control program according to the flowchart of FIG. 34 is a random access memory RAM, which is mainly used as a working memory of the CPU 32. Reference numeral 35 denotes an external memory consisting of a floppy disk, in which a system control program is stored. 45 is C
This is an image memory in which binary image information created using the RT8 and keyboard 31 is stored. Reference numeral 37 is an input/output interface for exchanging information between the image memory 45 and the image printer 3. 4o is a CRT interface for exchanging information with the CRT8. 41
is a 16-bit bus through which signals are transferred from each block within the control section 1. 11, 12, and 18 are cables that electrically connect each input/output device as described above, and control signals and image signals are transmitted. CRT8 has R for display.
AM43 is provided.

Binary images of characters, symbols, etc. are created using the keyboard 31 while being monitored by the CRT 8. Image data created at the same time is stored in the image memory 45. FIG. 3 is an example of image output. Output image So
If the image within the frame 51 is to be read from the document reader 2, only the frame is displayed on the CRTa, and a designation of the reading area in the document reader 2 is input from the keyboard 31. The other portions are images created manually using keys from the keyboard 31, and are displayed on the CRTa and simultaneously stored in the image memory 45.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the inside of the input/output interface 37 in detail. According to the instructions for the image reading area indicated by the frame 51 in FIG. 3, the CPU 32 sets the addresses of the start point and end point of the area within the frame 51 in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction in the starting point address register 63 and the ending point address register 64. do. The signal Va is multivalued image data that is output by the document reader 2 at the same time as the image is read.

vb is image data that is output from the image memory in synchronization with Va, and converts "0" and "1" into multi-level values on a single sheet of paper, for example, and converts them into "0",
63" gradation data. The signal is a clock for each pixel for image output synchronization in the image printer 3, and is sent from the document scanner 2 to the image printer 3 through the input/output interface 37. It is something that exists.

This clock signal is input to the main scanning direction address counter 60.
, and count up the address in the main scanning direction. At the same time, the sub-scanning direction address counter 61 counts up the address in the sub-scanning direction. The output image switching control circuit 62 includes a main scanning direction address counter 60. The contents of the sub-scanning direction address counter 61 are constantly compared with the contents of the start point address register 63 and the end point address register 64 to generate a selection signal 66 for selecting either the multivalued image signal Va of the document reader 2 or the image signal vb from the image memory. do. In response to the select signal 66, the data selector 65 selects the image signal and outputs the multivalued image signal Vc to the image printer 3, so that an image as shown in FIG. 3 is formed in the image printer 3.

Next, the control means in the above configuration will be explained with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In Sl, an arbitrary binary image is created using the keyboard 31 while being monitored on the CRT 8. The created binary image is stored in the image memory 45. S2
In the document reader 2, an area of a multivalued image to be read and synthesized during image formation is designated on the CRTa.

In S3, the CPU 32 sets the addresses of the start point and end point in the main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction according to the area specified on the CRTa in the start point address register 63 and the end point address register 64. In S4, a command is issued from the keyboard 31 to start the image creation operation. In S-5, the CPU 32 activates the document reader 2 to start the reading operation. Binary image data is output from the image memory 45 in synchronization with the multivalued image sent to the input/output interface 37 by the reading operation, and the input/output interface 37 performs image data switching.

In S6, the image printer 3 outputs a composite image based on the image data sent from the input/output interface 37.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, a separately created binary image is outputted from the image memory in synchronization with the reading of the multivalued image, and one of the image outputs is selected by specifying the area. By forming an image using the selected image signal, it is possible to output a mixed image of a multi-valued image and an arbitrarily created binary image without using a large-capacity image memory.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an external view of an image processing system to which the present invention is applied;
Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the image processing system, Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of an output image of the image processing system, Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration for selecting image data, and Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the image processing system. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure of this invention. 1 is a control unit, 2 is a document reader, and 3 is an image printer.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] Image reading means for reading image information and converting it into multivalued image data; storage means for storing arbitrary binary image data; and image forming means for forming an image by sequentially scanning pixels; Depending on whether or not the pixel being scanned by the image forming means is within a predetermined area, it is determined whether to form multivalued image data from the image reading means or binary image data stored in the storage means. and control means for forming a composite image of the multivalued image data and the binary image data by the image forming means in synchronization with reading by the image reading means. Image processing system.