WO1991011878A1 - Production of test prints from a full page image buffer - Google Patents
Production of test prints from a full page image buffer Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1991011878A1 WO1991011878A1 PCT/US1991/000494 US9100494W WO9111878A1 WO 1991011878 A1 WO1991011878 A1 WO 1991011878A1 US 9100494 W US9100494 W US 9100494W WO 9111878 A1 WO9111878 A1 WO 9111878A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- image
- image processing
- signals
- electrical
- parameter values
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
- H04N1/387—Composing, repositioning or otherwise geometrically modifying originals
- H04N1/3872—Repositioning or masking
- H04N1/3873—Repositioning or masking defined only by a limited number of coordinate points or parameters, e.g. corners, centre; for trimming
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
- H04N1/46—Colour picture communication systems
- H04N1/56—Processing of colour picture signals
- H04N1/60—Colour correction or control
- H04N1/603—Colour correction or control controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer
- H04N1/6033—Colour correction or control controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer using test pattern analysis
Definitions
- This invention relates generally to digital reproduction apparatus, and more particularly to such apparatus capable of processing an image signal to modify the reproduced image and to the production of test prints.
- apparatus for producing a document from electrical image signals, including image forming means for recording on a recording medium an image according to supplied electrical signals.
- Image processing means process the electrical image signals according to a set of image processing parameter values and apply the processed electrical image signals to the image forming means.
- Electrical image signals are stored in memory, and the stored electrical signals are applied to the image processing means, without deleting the stored signals from the memory means, to form a test print according to the set of image processing parameter values.
- the set of image processing parameter values may be adjusted after a test print has been made, whereafter documents can be produced according to the new set of image processing parameter values by reapplying the stored electrical signals from the memory to the image processing means.
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a copier according to one embodiment of the present invention
- Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of the copier of Figure 1;
- Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the copier of Figure 1;
- Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram of the image data path of the copier of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a logic flow chart of the operation of the copier of Figure 1. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
- a copier 10 includes a marking engine 12 and a document scanner 14.
- Scanner 14 consists of an automatic document handler 16 for stream feeding multiple hard copy original documents past an optical system enclosed in an optics housing 18. Focused light reflected from an original document image is swept past a linear array of phototransducers, such as photodiodes or charge coupled devices, for scanning the image of an original document and converting the scanned image into electrical signals having values representative of the image density at associated pixel areas on the original document.
- a series of output signals from the transducers are repetitively loaded into an associated shift register and shifted out serially to provide a series of electrical signals having values representative of the image density of respective pixel areas in corresponding rows of pixel areas across the document image.
- the electrical signals from an imager 20 (which includes the phototransducer and associated electronics) may be manipulated by image processing electronics 22.
- Image processing electronics 22 will be discussed in more detail below with reference to Figure 4.
- the processed electrical signals are transmitted along an image data bus 24 to marking engine 12. Synchronization signals to identify different scan lines, and to provide page information and marking engine control, is transmitted along a job control communications link 26.
- Document scanner 14 also includes a control logic package 28 having an operator control panel 30 and digitizer 32.
- the control logic package is an interfacing medium for the operator to input functions and to receive messages from the reproduction apparatus. Setup instructions are input to the scanner, while information for finishing and processing of jobs will be sent to marking engine 12.
- the logic package consists of control software, interface software, and logic hardware.
- functions inputted by the operator at the control panel may include image editing features such as area erase (blanking and framing) , image shift, book copy modes, magnification, accent (spot) color, color substitution, positive-to-negative image reversal, forms overlay, highlighting, screening selected areas for breaking a continuous tone original into dots for reproduction as half-tone images, etc.
- image editing features such as area erase (blanking and framing) , image shift, book copy modes, magnification, accent (spot) color, color substitution, positive-to-negative image reversal, forms overlay, highlighting, screening selected areas for breaking a continuous tone original into dots for reproduction as half-tone images, etc.
- the control logic package has a digital computer, preferably a microprocessor.
- Programming of a number of commercially available microprocessors is a conventional skill well understood in the art. This disclosure is written to enable a programmer having ordinary skill in the art to produce an appropriate control program for the microprocessor. The particular details of any such program would, of course, depend on the architecture of the designated microprocessor.
- control logic package 28 consists of temporary data storage memory 34, central processing unit 36, timing and cycle control unit 38, and stored program control 40. Data input and output is performed sequentially under program control. Input data are received from imager 20, and control signals are received from operator control panel 30 and digitizer 32 through an interrupt signal processor 42. The input signals are derived from various switches, sensors, and analog-to-digital converters. The output data and control signals are applied to the marking engine through image processing electronics 22. Digitizer 32 may take any of several well known forms such as the digitizing tablet disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,791,450, wherein an original is placed face up on the tablet. A stylus associated with the tablet is used by the operator to designate various positions on the original.
- Transducers located beneath the original produce signals relating the position of the positions touched relative to an edge of the tablet.
- the tablet may be of the known sonic type wherein a spark formed by a stylus creates sound waves in the air which are sensed by microphones placed along the sides of the tablet or wherein a sensor is placed in the stylus and sources at known points on the sides of the tablet emit sonic signals.
- Default machine setup instructions are stored in stored program control 40.
- An operator uses control panel 30 and digitizer 32 to input additional or alternative image processing parameter values for storage in temporary memory 34.
- setup instructions may be received via removable memory media from an off line computer, or the like. The setup instructions are used by image processing electronics 22 to modify the image data from imager 20, or are transmitted as control signals to marking engine 12.
- imager 20 outputs a linearity corrected, D.C. level restored color image signal.
- the image signals first pass through a merge and scale unit 44 unmodified for storage in a full page image buffer 46.
- unmodified it is meant in a form in which the image content of the original can be retrieved. If data from an incoming page is to be merged or overlayed with partial or full image signals stored in full page image buffer 46, the data in buffer 46 is fed back to merge and scale unit 44 along feedback paths 48 and 50 which are provided for windowed and page data, respectively.
- Merge and scale unit 44 is also capable of merging or overlaying the two feedback paths together. The unit can also scale the image.
- the color image data enters a color adjustment unit 52 and then a color substitution unit 54 from either merge and scale unit 44 or from image buffer 46 as determined by a selector unit 56.
- color adjustment unit 52 the signal is acted upon to set color balance in response to operator settings of gain and offset controls.
- color substitution unit 54 a designated color is substituted for an operator-identified color on the original. Operation of the reproduction apparatus will now be explained with reference to Figure 5.
- operator control panel 30 and digitizer 32 an operator selects desired image processing parameter values (step 60) and activates imager 20 to scan the image of the original document and convert the scanned image into electrical signals having values representative of the image density at associated pixel areas on the original document (step 62).
- the image data for the entire document page is stored in image buffer 46 (step 64) .
- the image data is read from image buffer 46 and applied to the subsystems of image processing unit 22, without deleting the stored image data from buffer 46
- step 66 If the test print is acceptable to the operator, the processed image signals are again sent to the marking engine for the production run without rescanning the original document; and the next original document is scanned, and so on. If, on the otherhand, the test print is unacceptable, the operator adjusts the image processing parameter values (step 68) and makes another test print is desired, again without rescanning the original document.
- the present invention provides apparatus for reproducing an original document by a process which includes the production of one or more test prints without the need to scan the original document more than once.
- the preferred embodiment has been described as a document copy machine, persons skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the invention is applicable to other types of reproduction apparatus, such as for example printers which receive image data in electronic form.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US47353190A | 1990-02-01 | 1990-02-01 | |
US473,531 | 1990-02-01 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO1991011878A1 true WO1991011878A1 (en) | 1991-08-08 |
Family
ID=23879920
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US1991/000494 WO1991011878A1 (en) | 1990-02-01 | 1991-01-24 | Production of test prints from a full page image buffer |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0469120A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JPH04504796A (en) |
WO (1) | WO1991011878A1 (en) |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2141899A (en) * | 1980-10-17 | 1985-01-03 | Canon Kk | Facsimile image processing system |
GB2155275A (en) * | 1980-10-30 | 1985-09-18 | Canon Kk | Image recording system |
WO1988004503A1 (en) * | 1986-12-12 | 1988-06-16 | Eastman Kodak Company | Process control for electrostatographic machine |
US4881130A (en) * | 1987-12-07 | 1989-11-14 | Ricoh Company, Ltd. | Image editing system for an image recording apparatus with the capability of marking an edited image area in the form of a vector |
DE3919726A1 (en) * | 1988-06-16 | 1989-12-21 | Hallmark Cards | METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR PRODUCING COLOR IMAGE REPRODUCTIONS |
-
1991
- 1991-01-24 JP JP50484691A patent/JPH04504796A/en active Pending
- 1991-01-24 WO PCT/US1991/000494 patent/WO1991011878A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1991-01-24 EP EP19910904572 patent/EP0469120A1/en not_active Ceased
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2141899A (en) * | 1980-10-17 | 1985-01-03 | Canon Kk | Facsimile image processing system |
GB2155275A (en) * | 1980-10-30 | 1985-09-18 | Canon Kk | Image recording system |
WO1988004503A1 (en) * | 1986-12-12 | 1988-06-16 | Eastman Kodak Company | Process control for electrostatographic machine |
US4881130A (en) * | 1987-12-07 | 1989-11-14 | Ricoh Company, Ltd. | Image editing system for an image recording apparatus with the capability of marking an edited image area in the form of a vector |
DE3919726A1 (en) * | 1988-06-16 | 1989-12-21 | Hallmark Cards | METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR PRODUCING COLOR IMAGE REPRODUCTIONS |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JPH04504796A (en) | 1992-08-20 |
EP0469120A1 (en) | 1992-02-05 |
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