JPS63124675A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To read the brightness and darkness of an original depending on the original itself by selecting the read potential of a light point existing at an optional position of an original picture fed from a character output means read by a picture read means to a threshold level deciding the brightness and darkness original picture prior to the original reading. CONSTITUTION:At first an original 1 is set, a platen 4a is operated and the original 11 is carried in the sub-operating direction up to a position where a line including a light point 22 of the original 11 corresponding to the read head position of an image reader 11, then a printer control section 4 moves the image reader 1 in a main scanning direction to start pre-scan. The read potential SRV corresponding to the brightness point 22 is stored in the TRM 3 as a threshold level deciding the brightness and darkness of the picture of the original 11 according to the pre-scanning. Then the upper left of the original 11 is set to the read start position of the image reader 1 and the entire read of the original 11 is started. Then the read level RV outputted from the image reader 1 is converted into the level of a digital picture data to be printed based on a read level SRV and the result is transferred to a host section 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image reading device that scans and reads an image of a document fed to a character output device.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of device is equipped with a document processing device, such as a character output device that outputs documents created with a word processor, etc., or an image league that scans and reads a document image, and the paper is fed from the printer. It is configured to be able to read an image of a document, and is configured to be able to combine an already created document with the captured image and output it as an image from a printer.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, the threshold level for determining whether the image read by the Image League is white or black is fixed at a preset level, so the type of document fed from the printer, for example, an off-white document or a white document, cannot be determined. Although it is actually necessary to determine the black and white of an image using different threshold levels, it is binarized at a certain threshold level, making it impossible to read the brightness and darkness of the original correctly, and the quality of the output image is affected. There was a problem that the quality of the product deteriorated.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems. Before reading the document from the printer, the image reader reads the brightest part of the document fed from the printer to create a binary image of the document. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an image reading device that can read the brightness and darkness of a document as intended by the document, without being affected by the document fed from the printer, by performing pre-scanning to determine the threshold level of the image. .

[Means for solving problems]

The image reading device according to the present invention detects the reading potential of a bright point existing at an arbitrary position of the original image fed from the character output means read by the image reading means before the original is read by the image reading means. It is provided with a threshold level storage means for storing a threshold level for determining brightness and a reading control means for binarizing the images sequentially read by the image reading means based on the threshold level stored in the threshold level storage means. be.

[Effect]

The image processing apparatus according to the present invention feeds the original to be read to the character output device before reading the original by the image reading means, and adjusts the position of the original so that the image reading means is located at a position that is considered to be a bright part of the original. After adjusting the position of the image reading means, the reading potential corresponding to the bright part in the document outputted from the image reading means is stored in the threshold level storage means as a threshold level for determining the brightness of the document image. Next, read potentials sequentially output from the image reading means corresponding to the images of the originals sequentially fed from the image character output device are read so as to be binarized based on the threshold level stored in the threshold level storage means. A control means controls reading from the image reading means.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an image processing apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes an image reader serving as an image reading means, and a guide shaft (
(to be described later). The image reader 1 sequentially scans and reads images on a fed document and outputs a reading potential to a printer control section 4 which also serves as reading control means of the present invention. The printer control unit 4 has a RAM 3 (
The image data obtained by converting the read potential outputted from the image reader 1 into an electrical signal based on the read potential SRV stored in the threshold level storage means (threshold level storage means) is transferred to a host unit 5 such as a word processor, for example. host part 5
is configured to display image data output from the printer control section 4 and to be able to synthesize it with characters.

The printer control unit 4 controls the scanning between the platen 4d that feeds the document and the image reader 1 to read the image on the document. It goes without saying that the printer control section 4 can also output an image on the fed recording paper based on the image data output from the host section 5.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the arrangement of the image reading device shown in FIG. 1, and the same components as in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals.

In this figure, a document 11 is inserted through a paper feed port (not shown) and is sequentially fed as the platen 4a rotates (in the direction of the arrow). 12 is a carrier, and this carrier 1
The image reader 1 attached to the carrier 2 scans in the direction of arrow A as the carrier 2 moves, and reads the image of the document 11. Reference numeral 13 denotes a guide shaft, and the carrier 12 is configured to move along this guide shaft 13 to perform printing or image reading.

FIG. 3 is a detailed plan view of the document 11 shown in FIG. 2, and 21 is a dark area, which is an area that is read as a black image. 22 is a bright point, which is the brightest part of the original 11.

Next, the threshold level registration operation according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

The operator drives the platen 4a in the direction of the arrow to transport the original 21 in the sub-scanning direction until the bright point 22 can be read by the image reader 1, and then commands reading from an input section (not shown). The carrier 12 starts moving in the main scanning direction (arrow A direction). Along with this movement, the image reader 1 starts scanning in the direction of the arrow A, and the reading potential of the reading line including the bright point 22 of the original 21 is written into the RAM 3 of the printer control unit 4. When the reading is finished, the carrier 12 returns to the reading start position and stops. By this prescanning, a bright area potential specific to the document 21 can be set.

Next, the platen 4a is driven and the document 21 is reset so that the upper end of the document 21 is positioned at the left end of the image reader 1.

Here, the printer control section 4 waits for a return command for the image reader 1 to be input from the host section 5, and returns the image reader 1 to the reading starting position when the command is input.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, image reading of the original 21 is started, and the reading potential RV output from the image reader 1 is
is converted into printable digital image data based on the read potential SRV stored in the RAM 3 and sent to the host unit 5.
Transfer to. When the reading of one line of the original is completed, it returns to the reading start position of the next line along the trajectory shown by the dashed-dotted line shown in FIG. Digital image data is transferred to the host unit 5 based on the read potential SRV,
Rewrite the reading of the original vI21 to the last line.

However, if the operator mistakenly performs prescanning in the shaded area of the document 21, the reading potential of the shaded area will be stored in RAM 3 as the bright area potential, so the main document reading will be performed in this state. Then, the image reader 1 cannot correctly read the brightness and darkness of the image on the document 21.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the image reading control operation procedure according to the present invention. Note that (1) to (5) indicate each step.

First, the original 21 is set (1), and the platen 4a is operated to transport the original 21 in the sub-operation direction until the line including the bright point 22 of the original 21 corresponds to the reading head position of the image reader 1. Next, the printer control section 4 starts a prescan to move the image reader 1 in the main scanning direction based on the reading start signal output from the host section 5 (2). By this briscan, the read potential SRV corresponding to the bright point 22 is stored in the RAM 3 as a threshold level for determining the brightness of the image of the original 21. Next, set the upper left of the original 21 at the reading start position of the image reader 1 (3) 0 Then,
After the image reader 1 is returned to the reading start position based on the drive command output from the host unit 5, reading of the entire document 21 is started (4). Next, the reading level RV output from the image reader 1 is set to the reading level SR.
The digital image data is converted into printable digital image data based on V and transferred to the host unit 1 (5).

In addition, in the above embodiment, the case where the image on the l line set by the operator is read as a bright area potential has been explained, but if the reading range can be set in advance,
If the platen 4a is controlled to return the document 21 to the document reading start position after bliscanning the area, the bright area potential reading and the document reading operation can be fully automated, and the image can be read efficiently.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention detects the reading potential of a bright point existing at an arbitrary position of the original image fed from the character output means read by the image reading means before the original is read by the image reading means. A threshold level storage means for storing a threshold level for determining brightness and darkness, and a reading control means for binarizing the image sequentially read by the image reading means based on the threshold level stored in the threshold level storage means. Therefore, the reading potential for any bright point in the document can be set as a threshold for determining the brightness of the image league without depending on the brightness distribution of the document, and the brightness of the image of the document can always be accurately read. This has the excellent advantage of preventing image reading defects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an image processing device showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the arrangement of the image reading device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. , FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the details of the document shown in FIG. 2, FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams explaining the operation of FIG. 1, and FIG. be. In the diagram, 1 is image league, 2 is printer section, 3 is RA
M, 4 is a printer control section, and 5 is a host section. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an image processing apparatus having an image reading means that is attached to a character output means and reads an image of a document fed from the character output means, the character read by the image reading means is read by the image reading means before the image reading means reads the document. a threshold level storage means for storing a read potential of a bright point existing at an arbitrary position of the original image fed from the output means as a threshold level for determining the brightness of the original image; an image processing apparatus, further comprising a reading control means for binarizing images sequentially read by the image reading means based on the threshold level.