JP3153321B2 - Image processing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus having a function of storing document information on a video tape and reading arbitrary document information from the video tape as needed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The inventors of the present application have previously disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. Hei.
No. 3913 proposes this type of image processing apparatus.

The proposed image processing apparatus transmits and receives an image by facsimile communication, and stores and reads out the image as needed. When storing images, a video tape is used as a recording medium for the images.

In the image processing apparatus, when storing images sequentially received from respective destinations by facsimile communication, each image is recorded on a video tape one by one in the order received. In this way, after recording a large number of received images on one video tape, there is a case where the operator wants to read out only one specific image.

In this case, the image processing apparatus reads out recorded images sequentially from the beginning of the video tape so as to find a desired image, or issues an instruction of a tape counter provided in the video tape deck when recording an image. It was necessary to write down and quickly feed the video tape to the tape position indicated by the tape counter when reading the image.

However, in the method of sequentially reading recorded images, it takes time until a desired image is read. To write down the tape counter reading,
Writing and viewing notes was tedious and cumbersome.

In a home video tape recorder, VISS (VHH) is used as a system for retrieving recorded images.
S Index Search System) and VAS
S (VHS Address Search System)
m) etc. are adopted. In the VISS, when recording an image, certain information indicating the start position of the image is recorded on a video tape, and thereafter, a predetermined image is recorded.
When reading a recorded image, the start position of the image is determined by searching for the certain information.

According to this system, since the recorded image can be fast-forwarded one by one, the time required for reading out the desired image can be reduced. However, troublesome operations such as checking images read one by one and performing a fast-forward operation are required.

On the other hand, in the VASS, when starting image recording, 4-digit number information input by an operator is recorded on a video tape, and then the image is recorded. And
When reading a recorded image, when the operator inputs a predetermined number, the operator searches for that number and immediately reads out the corresponding recorded image.

[0010] According to this system, complicated operations such as the above-described operation of confirming images one by one and performing a fast-forward operation become unnecessary. However, in this case,
It is necessary to write down the number set for each image, which is troublesome and troublesome as described above.

[0011]

As described above, conventionally, when a plurality of images are sequentially recorded on a video tape, it takes a long time to read a desired image and it takes time to handle the apparatus. There was a problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus which solves the above-mentioned problems, can read a desired recorded image quickly without troublesome handling of the apparatus, and a control method thereof.

[0013]

For this purpose, the present invention provides one of the following:
Image recording means for sequentially recording images of pages or a plurality of pages one by one on a video tape, identification information storage means for storing identification information of each recorded image, and holding a count value corresponding to the running position of the video tape A tape counter for recording, a recording position storage means for storing a recording position indicated by the tape counter when starting image recording on the video tape, an identification information display means for displaying a list of stored identification information, 1 of the displayed identification information
Identification information selecting means for arbitrarily selecting one,
Image reading means for reading an image corresponding to two pieces of identification information from the video tape; and when the image reading means reads one image from the video tape, the video tape reaches a recording position corresponding to the image. And tape fast-forward means for fast-forwarding.

[0014]

The operator can select the identification information of the desired image and the image is automatically read out, so that the desired recorded image can be quickly read out without any trouble in handling the apparatus. become.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a wireless telephone device 1 communicates over a public telephone line using mobile communication services of various communication companies. The facsimile image transmission unit 2 performs image transmission according to a known transmission control procedure of the G3 standard. The facsimile image transmission unit 2 has a built-in means for compressing image information and restoring the compressed image information to the original image information at the time of image transmission.

The image memory 3 temporarily stores image information as needed. The image reducing section 4 reduces the image size to a certain ratio by thinning the number of pixels of image information of one page. Videotape deck 5 is 8
mm NTC (National Television), which uses a video tape cassette and is generally used for recording and playback of video images captured by a video camera and television images.
It is a known device of the System Committee) system. The video tape deck 5 is provided with a tape counter 5a for indicating a running position of the video tape. The digital / NTSC signal converter 6 converts image information, which is digital information, into an image signal of a television, which is an analog signal, and performs the inverse conversion.

The tablet image input section 7 is for the operator to arbitrarily input characters, figures, and the like by pen touch operation. The screen display section 8 displays an image on a screen, and its display size is small, for example, a fraction of the image of one page. The operation display unit 9 is used by the operator to perform various operations, and displays the operation state of the apparatus. The system memory 10 arbitrarily stores various data. In the present embodiment, the system memory 10 stores header information for identifying each image recorded on a video tape.

The system control unit 11 monitors and monitors each of the above units.
A microcomputer to control. System bus 1
Reference numeral 2 denotes a signal line for exchanging various signals between the above units, except for the wireless telephone device 1.

Next, an image receiving process of the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment having the above configuration will be described.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the operator makes and receives a call by a predetermined operation of the wireless telephone device 1, and first talks with the other party (process 101). Then, after confirming that the call is an image reception, the reception operation of the image processing apparatus is started (process 102).

When the image processing apparatus is started, it starts a known facsimile apparatus and a known transmission control procedure of the G3 standard. The TSI signal is received in this procedure. If the destination device has the function, the RTI (R
emote TerminalIdentifier)
An NSS signal in which information is set is received. The telephone number information of the destination facsimile machine is set in the TSI signal. The RTI information is transmission source information such as a user name registered in the destination device.

When the RTI information is received, the image processing apparatus stores the RTI information.
The telephone number information of the signal is stored (process 103). Thereafter, the transmitted image is received and stored in the image memory 3 (process 104).

When the image reception is completed, the screen display unit 8 displays the received image. In this case, the screen display unit 8 does not have a size enough to display the entire one page,
A certain range at the top of the page is displayed (process 105).

The operator confirms the displayed image and scrolls the screen, changes the page, or overwrites the handwritten image as necessary. Screen scrolling and page break operations are performed by predetermined key operations on the operation display unit 9. When these key operations are performed, the image processing apparatus changes the display position of the image on the screen display unit 8 according to the key operations. The overwriting of the handwritten image is a process of arbitrarily writing a memo or the like on the received image. This operation is performed by a predetermined pen touch operation on the tablet image input unit 7.
When the image processing device performs the pen touch operation,
The written image information is stored on the currently displayed image information, that is, the image information stored in the image memory 3, and the image content is displayed (the above processing 106).

Next, when the operator wants to record the received image on a video tape, the operator performs a predetermined recording operation on the operation display unit 9. The image processing apparatus determines the operation of the operator (processing 107), and when the recording operation is performed (processing 1).
(Y of 07), it is determined whether or not the video tape mounted on the video tape deck 5 is an unused new video tape (process 108). In this determination, for example, the recording information is checked by rewinding the video tape by a certain amount, and if there is no recording information, it is determined that the tape is a new tape.

If it is assumed that such a new video tape has been loaded (Y in process 108), the tape identification information (hereinafter, TID; Tape) is added to the head of the tape.
ID).

The video tape deck 5 records the image signal of the television on a video tape for one screen, that is, one frame at a time. In this embodiment, image information is recorded on a video tape as an image signal of a television. In this case, as shown in FIG.
Various types of identification information are set in the line or several lines.

The TID is one of such identification information, and FIG. 3B shows an example of the information structure. The “identification code” in the figure is for distinguishing from the image information, and is composed of, for example, 3-byte data that is not found in the data pattern of the image information. The “TID flag” is T
This indicates that the ID is an ID, and is composed of, for example, one byte. The “TID number” is a number assigned to each video tape, and is composed of, for example, 2 bytes.

When recording the TID on the video tape, the image processing apparatus generates the TID information as described above. Then, for example, an image signal of one frame as a dummy such as all pixels black is generated, and the generated TID information is set at the head of the frame. Video tape deck 5
Records the image signal of the dummy frame in which the TID is set on the video tape (process 109). Next, the tape counter 5a is reset (step 110).

Next, record identification information (hereinafter referred to as HOR; Hedder Of Record) is recorded on the video tape. FIG. 3C shows an example of the information structure of the HOR. The “identification code” in the figure is the same code information as in the case of TID. “Header mode” is a code indicating that the mode is HOR, and is composed of, for example, one byte. The “management number” is a number that is randomly assigned for each page of a recorded image, and is composed of, for example, 2 bytes. “Recording time” is information on the date and time of recording, and is composed of, for example, 6 bytes. The “page number” indicates the page number of one image, and is composed of, for example, 2 bytes. “RTI / CSI” is the information received from the other party when receiving an image, and is composed of, for example, 20 bytes. The "tape counter" is the counter 5a at this time.
Is the tape running position instructed, and is composed of, for example, 2 bytes. The image processing apparatus records such a HOR on a video tape as a dummy frame image signal in the same manner as described above (process 111).

FIG. 4 shows the recording order of each frame on a video tape. After recording the TID and the HOR, the image processing apparatus records the entire image of the first page of the received image. In this case, since the entire original image of A4 size or the like transmitted and received by the facsimile apparatus cannot be displayed at the resolution of one screen of the television, the received image information is reduced at a fixed ratio by pixel thinning processing or the like. Also, since the video tape deck 5 employs the NTSC line interlace method, it converts the reduced image information into an even frame image signal and an odd frame image signal. The image signal of each frame includes field identification information (hereinafter, HOF; Hedder Of).
Field).

FIG. 3D shows an example of the information structure of the HOF. That is, the “identification information” in the figure is the same code information as described above, and the “header mode” is the HOF
Is information indicating that "Management number",
The “recording time” and the “page number” are the same information as the HOR. The “frame mode” is information indicating a division method when dividing one page of image into a plurality of fields, and is composed of, for example, one byte. "X address" and "Y address" are the X
And the position in the Y direction, for example, each consisting of one byte.

The image processing apparatus sequentially records each image signal of the odd-numbered frame and the even-numbered frame of the reduced image in which such HOF is set on a video tape. In this case, since the recorded image is an entire image of one page and is not divided, information indicating that is set in the “frame mode” and invalid information is set in the “X address” and the “Y address”. set.

Next, the image of one page is divided into a plurality of frames, and the image signal of each divided frame is sequentially recorded. Now, for example, if the received image is A4 size 8 × 8
(Dot / mm). in this case,
The image information of one page is 2280 dots vertically and 1728 dots horizontally. In this embodiment, such A4 size image information is divided into four sections in the X direction and nine sections in the Y direction, as shown in FIG. 5, and divided into 36 frames F11 to F49. By this division, the frames F11 to F18, F21
Frames F28 to F28, F31 to F38, and F41 to F48 are 256 dots vertically and 432 dots horizontally. Then, the other four frames F19, F29, F39, and F
49 is 232 dots vertically and 432 pixels horizontally.

The image processing apparatus performs the above-described frames F11 to F11.
The corresponding HOF is set to the image information of F49. In this case, in the “frame mode” of the HOF, information on frame division, that is, 4 divisions in the X direction and 9 divisions in the Y direction, is set. "X address" and "Y address"
Set the frame position.

The image information of each of the frames F11 to F49 in which the HOF is set is converted into an image signal of an odd frame and an image signal of an even frame. The image signals obtained by this conversion are sequentially recorded on a video tape.

When the above processing is completed for one page of the received image, the presence or absence of the next page is determined, and if there is a next page, the same processing is repeated for each page. In this way, the received image is recorded up to the last page (the above-mentioned processing 11
2).

When the recording of one received image is completed as described above, the TID and the HOR are stored in the system memory 10 as header information (process 113), and the above-described image receiving process ends.

If the recording operation is not performed by the operator (N in step 107), the recording process is terminated without executing the recording process.

On the other hand, it is assumed that after the received image is recorded on the video tape as described above, another recording operation of the received image is performed. In this case, it is determined that it is not a new video tape. In this case (N in process 108), the process immediately shifts to the HOR recording operation (to process 111). In addition,
In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, between the first and second record information, after forming a gap of a certain length, information recording of the next image is started. This is formed in order to prevent another image from being overwritten on the previous image by mistake and to clarify the delimitation of one image at the time of image reading.

Next, the image reproducing process will be described.

When reproducing an image recorded on a video tape, the operator mounts the video tape on the video tape deck 5 as shown in FIG. 6 (process 201). The image processing apparatus reads the TID recorded at the beginning of the mounted video tape (Step 202). And
In the system memory 10, the same TI is used as header information.
It is determined whether D is stored (step 203).
Here, when the TID of the attached video tape is stored (Y in process 203), the HOR stored together with the TID is read (process 204).

On the other hand, if the mounted videotape has been recorded by another device, the TI
D is not stored in the system memory 10. In this case (N in process 203), all the HORs of the respective images recorded on the video tape are read (process 205). Then, the read HOR is stored in the system memory 10 as header information together with the previously read TID (process 206).

Thereafter, the header information of the recorded image is displayed on the screen display section 8 based on the HOR read from the system memory 10 or the video tape. In this display, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, each information of the "management number", "recording time" and "RTI / CSI" of the HOR is displayed in a list (process 207).

The operator selects a desired one of the images displayed in the list (step 208). This selection is performed, for example, by moving the cursor on the display screen to a desired item position by a predetermined key operation.

When one image is selected, the image processing apparatus reads the "tape counter" of the HOR and fast-forwards the video tape to the tape position (processing 20).
9). Then, the reading of the recording information is started from the tape position. In this case, the TID, HOR, and each frame of the reduced image are skipped. And the frames F11 to F11
The image signals of the odd and even frames up to F49 are sequentially read. The read image signals are sequentially converted into digital signal image information and stored in the image memory 3. When the image information of each frame is reproduced from the image signal of each frame, the HOF set at the head is read. This HOF
In the figure, the frame division method and the frame position such as “frame mode”, “X address”, and “Y address” are shown. The image processing apparatus reproduces one page of image information in the image memory 3 according to the information. Also,
When an image of another page is recorded, image information of each page is sequentially reproduced in the image memory 3 in the same manner (Process 2).
10).

Next, the image at the top of the first page is displayed on the screen display section 8 based on the reproduced image information (step 21).
1). Here, as described in the processing 106 of FIG. 2, the operator changes the display position of the image by performing screen scrolling or page break operation as necessary (processing 21).
2).

Next, it is assumed that the image thus reproduced is transmitted. In this case (Y in process 213), the operator makes and receives a call by a predetermined operation of the wireless telephone device 1 and talks with the other party (process 214). Then, the operator is notified of the image transmission by the call, and the transmission operation of the image processing apparatus is started (step 215). When activated, the image processing apparatus transmits the image information stored in the image memory 3 to the destination facsimile apparatus (step 21).
6). When the transmission of the image information ends, the operation ends.

If the reproduced image is not to be transmitted (N in step 213), the operation ends.

As described above, in this embodiment, when an image is recorded on a video tape, the HOR, which is the identification information, is recorded on the video tape together with the image, and the HOR is also stored in the system memory 10. . At the time of image reproduction, a part of the stored information is displayed in a list, and when the operator selects a desired one, the corresponding image is searched and read immediately.

As a result, the operator can quickly read out the desired recorded image, and it is not necessary to write down the instruction of the tape counter and the set number information as in the related art.

Further, since the list display showing the recorded images is performed based on the information stored in the system memory 10 without reading the video tape, the display can be executed immediately after the apparatus is started.

Further, the TID is recorded on the video tape, and the HOR is stored in the system memory 10 for each TID. Then, at the time of image reproduction, the information of the HOR corresponding to the TID of the attached video tape is displayed, so that the operator can arbitrarily use a plurality of video tapes.

When the HOR corresponding to the mounted video tape is not stored, the HOR of the video tape is not stored.
After reading all the ORs and storing them together with the TID, a list display of the recorded images is executed in the same manner as described above.

As a result, a list of recorded images can be displayed on a video tape on which images have been recorded by another device, and one selected image can be quickly read.

In the HOR, the image recording position of the video tape is stored as a "tape counter", and when one image is read, the video tape is fast-forwarded according to the information of the "tape counter". . As a result, the start of image reading is quickened.

In the reproducing operation in the above-described embodiment, the reduced image is not read. However, the reduced image may be read and displayed on the screen display unit 8.

In the above-described embodiment, the "tape counter" is provided as one piece of HOR information. However, the operation can be performed without this information. That is, when there is no information on the “tape counter”, when reading one selected image, the HORs are sequentially read one by one from the beginning of the video tape. Then, when the HOR that matches the selected one image is read, the reading of the recorded image may be started.

Although TID and HOR are set in a dummy frame which is not image information, they may be set together with HOF in the first frame of image information.

Further, although a scanner for reading the original image and a plotter for recording the image on the recording paper are not provided, it goes without saying that these may be provided. In this case, the document image read by the scanner may be recorded on a video tape as needed, and the document image reproduced from the video tape may be recorded on recording paper as needed.

[0062]

As described above, according to the present invention, one image is displayed.
When recording on a video tape one record at a time, the running position of the video tape is stored together with the identification information of each image, and the stored identification information is displayed as a list if necessary, and one of the stored identification information can be selected. When the video tape is selected, the video tape is fast-forwarded to the running position where the image is stored and read out, so that the operator can quickly read out the desired engraved image without any trouble.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart of an image receiving process.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of various types of identification information set at the head of one frame.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of recording information of a video tape.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a dividing method for dividing A4 size image information into a plurality of frames.

FIG. 6 is an operation flowchart of an image reproduction process.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of display information showing a display example of header information of a video tape.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 wireless telephone device 2 facsimile image transmission unit 3 image memory 4 image reduction unit 5 video tape deck 5 a tape counter 6 digital / NTSC signal conversion unit 7 tablet image input unit 8 screen display unit 9 operation display unit 10 system memory 11 system control unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 1/21 G11B 27/00 H04N 1/00 107 H04N 5/7826

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image recording means for sequentially recording one or more page images one by one on a video tape, an identification information storage means for storing identification information of each recorded image, A tape counter that holds a corresponding count value; a recording position storage unit that stores a recording position indicated by the tape counter when starting image recording on the video tape; and an identification that lists the stored identification information. Information display means, identification information selection means for arbitrarily selecting one of the listed identification information, image reading means for reading an image corresponding to the selected identification information from the video tape, When the image reading means reads one image from the video tape, the video tape is rapidly fed to a recording position corresponding to the image. The image processing apparatus characterized by and a tape fast forward means. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said identification information storage means records and stores said identification information together with a corresponding image on said video tape. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identification information storage means stores the identification information in a memory provided in the apparatus. 4. The memory stores identification information of each image recorded on a plurality of video tapes, and the identification information display means determines one video tape attached to the apparatus, and The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a list of identification information corresponding to one video tape is displayed.