JPS63301366A - Recognizing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten an image input time and to reduce the capacity of an image memory by adding an image input circuit and an image memory to designate the position and the size of a checking area to image data received from the image input circuit. CONSTITUTION:An image pickup device 21 picks up an object 29 to be checked and these image signals are corrected by a light quantity variance correcting circuit 22 in terms of the light quantity variance of said signals. These corrected output signals are converted into the digital image signals by an image input circuit 23 and supplied to a check area designating circuit 24 for designation of the position and size data on the check area. These position and size data are stored in an image memory 25. A check circuit 26 performs the check based on the data stored in the memory 25 and outputs this checking result through an output circuit 27.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] 〔overview〕 The present invention relates to an imaging device that inputs an image of an object to be inspected.

A light intensity unevenness correction circuit that inputs an analog image signal output from the imaging device, an image input circuit that digitally converts the analog image signal corrected by the correction circuit into image data, and a digital image output from the image input circuit. In a recognition device including an image memory for storing data and an inspection circuit for inspecting an image to be inspected using the data in the image memory.

The present invention is characterized in that an inspection area specifying means is provided between the image input circuit and the image memory for specifying the position and size data of the inspection area in the digital image data output from the image input circuit.

Thereby, it is not necessary to input all the entire image data to the image memory as in the conventional example, and only the image data of the inspection area can be stored in the image memory. For this reason,
It is possible to shorten the image input time and reduce the capacity of the image memory. [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a recognition device for inspecting and recognizing characters printed by a printer, for example. More detailsa
- For example, it relates to a technique for storing image data in an image memory of a recognition device.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a recognition device according to a conventional example.

FIG. 3(a) is a block diagram of the recognition device, which includes an imaging device 1 that inputs an image of the inspection object 8, a light amount unevenness correction circuit 2. An image input circuit 3 that converts analog image signals into digital image data, an image memory 4 that stores digital image data, an inspection circuit 5 that inspects image information from image memory data, a CCD control circuit 6 that controls each circuit, and result output. It is composed of a circuit 7.

FIG. 2B is a configuration diagram of the imaging device 211. In the figure, the one-dimensional imaging device 9 inputs images while mechanically moving in the sub-scanning direction (y direction), the imaging plane 10. Imaging lens 12. A camera 11 and an inspection object 13 are shown.

The imaging device 1 is similar to the imaging system described in Japanese Patent Application No. 166804/1987, which the inventors previously applied for, and is capable of handling 66 lines x 136 digits of printing on printer paper. It can be inspected with a high resolution of 4,096 x 5.120 pixels.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

By the way, according to the conventional example, the imaging device i! The analog image signal outputted from i1 is corrected by the optical unevenness correction circuit 2, and then converted into digital image data by the image input circuit 3 and stored in the image memory 4.

For example, when inspecting the image information printed on the printer paper 14 in FIG. A method is adopted in which information image data of area 16 is extracted and inspected. In addition, 66 lines x 136 columns (4,096 x 5,120
4 bits per pixel at 16 gradations, 8 bits per pixel at 256 gradations
20 bytes of memory are required for each 1,14 J.

Therefore, according to the conventional method, all the entire image data is input into the image memory, which (1) increases the image memory capacity.

(2) Image input time becomes longer. There is a problem.

The present invention was created in view of such conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recognition device equipped with afT: for storing only image information data from the entire image data in an image memory.

[Means for solving problems]

The recognition device of the present invention includes an imaging device that inputs an image of an inspection target, an optical unevenness correction circuit that inputs an analog image signal (t) output from the imaging device, and a digital image signal that converts the analog image signal corrected by the correction circuit into a digital image. In a recognition device that includes an image input circuit that converts into image data, an image memory that stores digital image data output from the image input circuit, and an inspection circuit that inspects an image to be inspected using data in the image memory, +fii The present invention is characterized in that an inspection area specifying means for specifying the position and size data of the inspection area in the digital image data outputted from the image input circuit is provided between the image input circuit and the large image input circuit memory.

[Effect]

According to the present invention, an inspection area specifying means for specifying the position and size data of the inspection area 3 in the digital image data output from the single image input circuit is provided between the image input circuit and the image memory.

Thereby, only the image data of the inspection area can be stored in the image memory. Therefore, it becomes possible to omit inputting unnecessary image data into the image memory as in the conventional case, and it becomes possible to shorten the image input time and reduce the image memory capacity.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a recognition device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 (a) is a block diagram.

In the figure, 21 is an imaging device that inputs an image of the inspection object, and 22 is a light amount unevenness correction circuit that inputs an analog image signal output from the imaging device 2121.

23 is a corrected analog image input circuit, and 24 is an inspection area memory that outputs only image information of the inspection area to the image memory.

25 is an image memo 1 which stores image information data; 26;
2 is an inspection circuit that inspects an image using image information data;
7 is a circuit that outputs the test results, 28 is a CCD control circuit that controls the imaging device 21, and image sensor circuit 23. This circuit controls the inspection area designation circuit 24, the image memory 25, the inspection circuit 26, and the inspection result output circuit 27. In addition,
Reference numeral 29 denotes an inspection object consisting of image information printed on printer paper or the like.

In addition, FIG. 0B is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the inspection area designation circuit surrounded by a broken line.

30 is an address counter that counts the position of the inspection area from the image to be inspected. Note that it is controlled by a CCD control circuit. Further, 31 is an inspection area designation memory for designating the position of the part to be inspected.

Note that 32 compares the first address data output from the address counter and the first inspection area designation data output from the inspection area designation memory, and outputs the starting point position data of the inspection area when the two data match. This is the starting point comparator.

33 compares the second address data output from the address counter and the second inspection area position designation data output from the inspection area input designation memory, and when the two data match, the end point position data of the inspection area It is an end point comparator that outputs .

Note that 34 is a first AN[] circuit that inputs start point position data and end point position data and outputs data on the position and size of the inspection area. Further, 35 is an image input circuit 2
The digital image data output from 3 is compared with the position and size data of the inspection area, and when the two data match, only the image data of the inspection area is stored in the image memory 2.
This is the second AND circuit that outputs the output signal to 4.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a first example of the operation of the inspection area memory when inspection areas to be inspected are periodically located.

In the figure, 36 is an overall image area, and 37 is an inspection area in which image information is periodically located. Also all r
aV is the length from the reference point A to the starting point of the inspection area,
rX+rV is the size of the inspection area.

Px and Py indicate the period between inspection areas.

Note that the reference point A is the point at which the imaging device starts imaging from one end of the printer paper (FIG. 4(a)).

The contents 38 of the inspection area designation memory include inspection area starting point position data aX, ay, inspection area size data rx, ry, and inspection area periodic data Px+py. In addition, the end point position data of the inspection area is ax+rX
and ay+r ((b) in the same figure).

These data are stored in the inspection area designation memory 31, and only image information data from among the digital image data output from the image input circuit 23 is input to the image memory 24.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a second example of the operation of the inspection area memory when the inspection areas to be inspected are irregularly located.

In the same figure (a), 39 is a whole image area, 40 is an inspection area in which the image information within the inspection object is irregularly located, and the inspection area size is also irregular. Furthermore, compared to the first operation example of the inspection area memory, the second operation example differs in that a position is specified for each inspection area.

In addition, in the same figure (a), when the number of inspection areas is n, the first
For example, the length to the starting point of the t1ffth inspection area is Pl, qI, and the inspection area size is ul, Vl. be. The length of the end point position is rl = P
I +ul, 51:ql+v1. Also, the length to the starting point of the first inspection area is Pi+q
i, and the inspection area size is ul+vl,
The length of the end point position is r+ = Pi + ui
*Si = qi + Vi.

In addition, in FIG. 4B, the contents 41 of the inspection area designation memory include inspection area number data n, first area starting point position data P1. qI and inspection area size data ullV1. nth inspection area starting point position data pn
+qn and inspection area size data un l vn
It is.

These data are stored in the inspection area input designation memory 42, and only image information from among the digital image data output from the image input circuit 33 is input to the image memory 34.

In this way, only the image information data of the inspection area is stored in the image memory 24 even when the inspection area 37 is located periodically in the overall image area 36 or when the inspection area 40 is irregularly located in the overall image area 39. can do.

Therefore, it is possible to omit inputting all the entire image data into the image memory as in the conventional example.

In addition, when this invention II is used for quality inspection of printer printing, for example, about 9,000 characters (13
According to the present invention, when inspecting 100 characters from the entire image area to be printed (6 digits x 66 lines), the image memory capacity can be reduced to 1/90 compared to the conventional method.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, only the image data of the inspection area from the entire image area can be stored in the image memory by providing the inspection area designation stage f between the image input circuit and the image memory. Can be done.

This makes it possible to shorten the time required to input one image and to reduce the image memory to a small capacity.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining a recognition device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a first inspection area memory according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the inspection area memory according to the embodiment of the present invention.
The figure explaining the example of operation. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a recognition device according to a conventional example. (Explanation of symbols) 1.21... Imaging device, 2.22... Light unevenness correction circuit, 3.23... Image input circuit. 4.25... Image memory, 5.26... Print head movement direction, 6.28... CCDIJI control circuit, 7... Result output. 8.13.29... Inspection object, 9... -dimensional imaging device, 10... Image forming plane, 11... Camera, 12... Imaging lens, 14... Printer paper, 15 .38.50...Overall image area, 16.37.4
0... Inspection area, 24... Inspection area designation circuit, 27... Result output circuit, 30... Address counter, 31... Inspection area designation memory. 32...Start point comparator, 33...End point comparator, 34.35...AND circuit. 38.41...Contents of inspection area specification memory. aX r aV...Inspection area starting point position data. rx l rV...Inspection area size data. PXIPV...Inspection area cycle data. n...Inspection area number data. Pl, (II... 1st inspection area position data. ul, Vl... 1st inspection area size data, Pn+qn... nth inspection area position data, un + V n... The nII is the eye inspection area position data. A-... The reference point. ) and 5 and 5 31 . Figure 1 (b) Sozu E5 with 35 I ξri and v month 1 "shi 5 shea 4th"
Figure (? no 1) (b), 2 books, no% II month) v, Uichi Nikeri ltei 1 (5th 1st σ) 噌1 fu crop clerk tfujishi date month 115 figure 2 EI 82 end Figure 4 (Object 2)

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) An imaging device that inputs the image of the inspection target, a light intensity unevenness correction circuit that inputs the analog image signal output from the imaging device, and an image input that converts the analog image signal corrected by the correction circuit into digital image data. A recognition device comprising: a circuit, an image memory that stores digital image data output from the image input circuit, and an inspection circuit that inspects an image to be inspected using data in the image memory, the image input circuit and the image memory; 2. A recognition device comprising: an inspection area specifying means for specifying the position and size data of an inspection area in the digital image data outputted from the image input circuit. (2) The inspection area specifying means includes an address counter for counting position data of the inspection area, an inspection area specifying memory for specifying the position of the inspected portion of the inspection target, and a first address output from the address counter. a starting point circuit that outputs inspection area starting point position data from first inspection area position specification data output from the data and inspection area specification memory; and a start point circuit that outputs inspection area starting point position data from the second address data output from the address counter and the inspection area specification memory. an end point circuit that outputs end point position data of the inspection area from the second output inspection area position designation data; and a first circuit that receives the start point position data and the end point position data and outputs the position and size data of the inspection area. a circuit that inputs the digital image data output from the image input circuit and the position and size data of the inspection area output from the circuit 1, and outputs only the digital image data of the inspection area to the image memory. 2. The recognition device according to claim 1, further comprising a second circuit.