JPH05266153A - Method and device for image processing - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To edit and output characters and image data on a picture in quantities at a high speed by preparing conversion tables by object kinds of data on a work station. CONSTITUTION:When data edited on the work station 300 are transferred to an image setter through a file server 200, the data need to be converted into commands that a file server 200 can read. The conversion tables by the kinds of objects are provided as hardware and the edited data are read out; and a use start command for an output frame, a page frame, etc., is issued according to an output indication and the object kind is decided according to the number of the objects. Once the object kind is decided, it is decided whether or not a conversion table is present or not; when there is not the conversion table, a line command is issued, but when the conversion table is present, the conversion table for the command is read out of the command table. Then the read conversion table is used to automatically generate parameters according to the number of commands and the number of parameters.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is an image processing system for reading a character image and an image of a design of a layout mount (a block mount, a rough designation paper, etc.) and then laying it out and outputting it. When transferring edited data to the imagesetter, not all the data conversion is performed by software, but a conversion table for each object type is provided in hardware and the conversion table is used according to the object type judgment. The present invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus for performing conversion.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an image processing system for a printing company requiring high quality, there is no system for comprehensively integrating and editing images such as characters and pictures, or even if it exists, it has low capability and is practically used. It was not the target. In particular, the desktop publishing field is becoming possible by the page description language such as Postscript.
Performance is low. There are systems for printers, but they are not enough to handle large amounts of data at high speed. The reason for this is that there is too much data to be processed in order to support processing by a descriptive language for collectively processing characters and images, and processing by a CPU (software), resulting in lack of performance. is there.
When only code data is output to create a block for printing, it must be converted into a bitmap for each character and must be expanded into a bitmap for every few rasters in advance, and only the bitmap is output. Stores all or part of the output image in a temporary buffer and sends it to the output device, and waits while the output device accumulates in the output image buffer to reduce the memory capacity of the buffer. It is supposed to do.

[0003]

However, in the above-described device, characters and pictures cannot be laid out and output at the same time, and even if the character bitmap is laid out in advance on the buffer for outputting the bitmap, the error will occur. It has a drawback that it takes a lot of time to realize. Alternatively, characters and pictures are output on different papers or films, and the operator cuts the papers or films. For this reason, repeated operations such as exposure and printing take a lot of time, and intermediately generated photosensitive materials are wasted.

Further, if all image processing, data transfer, etc. are performed by software of a computer program, if there is a function change, the program is inevitably changed, and a load module is generated through recompilation / linking, I had to restart the load module and run it. When creating image processing as a program, it is very difficult to ensure independence because the independence of each processing (no effect on other processing or side effects) is left to the discretion of the creator. It was In addition, the work efficiency was poor because tests and the like could not be executed without going through the above procedure.

The present invention has been made under the circumstances described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a workstation in an image processing system for electronically interactively editing a large amount of character and picture image data at high speed. An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing method and apparatus for converting a command by using a conversion table for each object type when converting a data command when transferring the data edited in (1) to the imagesetter.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention displays an input controller adapted to store density data of an image read by an input device, code information edited by an editing input device, and the image data. A workstation which is adapted to edit the screen using a means and which has a storage unit, and which is connected to the input controller and the workstation, and displays the image data, the code information, and the edit data edited on the screen by the workstation. A file server for storing in the storage means, and an image setter adapted to read the edited data stored in the storage means, perform necessary data processing, and output an image to an image output device. The present invention relates to an image processing method in an image processing system. A conversion table is prepared for each object type of data, and the edited data edited by the workstation using the stored data stored in the file server is transferred to the imagesetter via the file server. This is accomplished by determining the object type of the edit data, reading the conversion table according to the determination result, and converting the edit data into a command sequence that can be read by the imagesetter using the read conversion table when transferring. It

Further, the image processing apparatus which is an object of the present invention uses the stored data stored in the file server to edit the edited data in the workstation to the image setter via the file server. This is achieved by providing a conversion table for each object type that converts the edit data into a command string that can be read by the imagesetter when transferring.

[0008]

The image processing system of the present invention comprises an input controller, a file server, an imagesetter and a workstation, each of which is an independent CPU.
Since it is equipped with (microprocessor, microcomputer, etc.), each part can be operated independently and in parallel, and high-speed and efficient image processing can be realized, as well as information on the layout mount and pictures and characters. Interactively edit etc. to minimize the memory capacity,
A high quality image can be obtained as a hard copy or a printing block from the image output device. Moreover, when converting the data command when transferring the data edited on the workstation to the imagesetter, the command conversion is performed using the conversion table for each object type, so that the efficiency of the program test can be improved. The
Further, it is possible to reduce the influence of the description of the processing on other processing and the side effects.

[0009]

1 to 3 are block diagrams of an image processing system which is a premise of the present invention, in which an input device 1 such as a scanner is used for a document such as a picture, a character, a figure, and a layout mount.
The density data DD of the image obtained by reading the input density data DD is input to the input controller 100, and the input controller 100 inputs the density data DD via the built-in CPU 101.
Is converted into a halftone dot by the halftoning circuit 102, and the compression circuit 103
After it is compressed in the buffer 104, it is temporarily stored in the buffer 104, and then transferred via the SCSI bus to the magnetic tape 210 of the file server 200 or the hard disks 220, 221, ...
Store in ... The input controller 100 has a local disk (hard disk) 105 for temporarily storing data. The file server 200 has a CPU 201, and is connected to other devices via interfaces 202 to 205. The code information CD such as characters obtained by the edit input device 2 such as a word processor or a typesetting machine is once stored in the floppy disk 3 and then read out and input to the workstation 300. The workstation 300 includes a CRT 301 as a display unit, a keyboard 302, a mouse 306 and a digitizer 303 as an input operation unit, and a hard disk 3 as a storage unit.
04, a floppy disk 305 and a plurality of terminal devices, each workstation 300 is an ET.
It is mutually connected to the file server 200 via HERNET. CR obtained by the input controller 100
The image data thinned out for T display, the frame data, and the image data for contour display are stored in the magnetic tape 210 or the hard disks 220, 221, ... together with the unthinned high-density data for image output. The drawn data is read out via the SCSI bus and the interface 20
4 and 202 are transferred to the workstation 300, and control commands and the like with the input controller 100 are transferred via the auxiliary data line 4 via the interface 200 of the file server 200.
An image setter 400 is further connected to 0.
The image setter 400 is provided with a CPU 401, and through the interface 402 the file server 2
00 auxiliary data line 5 and is connected to the SCSI bus via the interface 403. The imagesetter 400 further includes a sequencer 410 and a buffer 411 for storing necessary data. The imagesetter 400 outputs a high quality image output device 10 for outputting a high quality image and a laser beam for outputting a relatively low quality image. The printer 11 is connected. The hard disks 220, 221, ... Store fixed data (bitmap data) such as logos, emblems, and nets, and vector font data for character output in advance.

In the input device 1, a pattern (halftone image), a line drawing, and a character image (binary image) are digitized by density data (8 bits / pixel). The signal input at 8 bits / pixel is converted into a dot pattern by the input controller 100,
Information of 4 bits / pixel is generated. The binary image is converted into 1-bit / pixel information. Further, although characters are input as codes from the workstation 300, they may be input as images from the input device 1. Therefore, when input as an image, even a character is treated as an image (bitmap data). Although all images are output by the imagesetter 400, since all the code and vector information are converted to bitmap data in the imagesetter 400, use it in the sense of outputting bitmap data when speaking of image output. become.

Now, the details of the input controller 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 4, in which the input controller 100 converts the density data DD input from the input device 1 into high density data for the high image quality output machine 10 and a laser beam printer. 11
For CRT3 on workstation 300
Two sets of data for displaying 01 and five sets of rough image data enough to show the contour are simultaneously generated. Overall speed can be realized by performing parallel processing at the same time.
This is because the data generation calculation load of 101 can be reduced.
That is, the high-density data for the high-quality image output device 10 is halftoned by the halftoning circuit 1021, compressed by the compression circuit 1031, and the compressed data is temporarily stored in the buffer 1041. Further, as data for outputting an image by the laser beam printer 11 having a relatively low image quality, the density data DD is thinned out (110) at a predetermined interval (for example, 1/3), and the rough data is halftone dot-converted by the halftone dot circuit 1022. And compresses them in the compression circuit 1032, and then the buffers 1042
It is temporarily stored in. Furthermore, two types of coarser data to be displayed on the CRT 301 are thinned by the halftone dot conversion circuits 1023 and 1024 after thinning out the density data DD at predetermined intervals, respectively, and the buffers 1043 and 1044 are recorded.
In the case of a line drawing in which a clipping mask is created from a halftone image, the image data after the Laplacian processing or the unsharp mask processing showing the contour data is thinned out (113), and then the binarization circuit. 102
5 is binarized and temporarily stored in the buffer 1045.

In such a configuration, the CPU 101 communicates with the input device 1 via a data line (not shown), and also the auxiliary data line 4 and the dual port RA.
It communicates with the file server 200 via M (not shown). Then, when there is a data transmission request from the input device 1, the CPU 101 sets necessary data in each circuit shown in FIG. 4, stores the setting data in the local disk 105, and further sets the setting value related to the sub-scanning. set. The density data DD from the input device 1 is input line by line, and the circuits shown in FIG.
It is stored in (1041 to 1045). CPU1 during this period
01 checks the SCSI bus switching, the data compression output buffer 1041 switching, and the presence or absence of error information from various circuits. The data once stored in the buffer 104 and the local disk 105 is sorted by a command from the CPU 101 and output to an external SCSI bus.

The configuration of the file server 200 is as shown in FIG. 2. The file server 200 has a common file management function such as file management and file sharing, and a communication control function for network communication and unit communication. is doing. That is, the file server 200
Via the SCSI bus to the hard disk (220, 2,
21 ...), manages files on the magnetic tape 210, and connects to the workstation 3 via ETHERNET.
00 and a software interface function, and further includes an input controller 100 and an image setter 400.
File management information service to the PC and utility function for file management via the SCSI bus. For example, font registration and SCSI disk garbage collection (dust removal processing). There are two types of font registration. One is registration of fonts possessed by the system. This registration stores vector fonts created by another font creation system in the form of magnetic tape in the hard disk of the image processing system. The other is the registration of external character fonts. Gaiji font is a character that does not exist in the system. In this case, the font created in another system is registered in this system from a floppy disk or magnetic tape.

The file server 200 provides services and data storage for data transfer between the workstation 300, the input controller 100 and the imagesetter 400, and the input controller 100 stores the auxiliary data line 4 and the dual port RAM. Then, necessary information is obtained from the file server 200 for securing and deleting areas of various files. Input controller 100
To register the data once stored in the internal buffer 104 as a file of the image processing system, information such as the file name and the file capacity is transferred to the file server 200, and S
Access the hard disks 220, 221 ... on the CSI bus. As a result, the file server 200 manages directory communication and disk area management.
The file server 200 also transfers file data to the workstation 300 and receives data from the workstation via ETHERNET. At this time, the file server 200 manages the hard disks (220, ...) And the magnetic tape 210 on the SCSI bus according to a command from the workstation 300, and updates necessary information such as directories. Also, a command for the imagesetter 400 and a command for the magnetic tape 210 are obtained, and the service is performed according to the commands.
Furthermore, a predetermined command is sent to the imagesetter 400 via the auxiliary data line 5 and the dual port RAM, file management information is sent in response to a request from the imagesetter 400, and disk data on the SCSI bus is sent. As a result, the imagesetter 400 is directly accessed. Further, utility information related to the entire image processing system is managed by the hard disks 220, 221, ... On the SCSI bus, and font information, common files on the system, etc. correspond to those information.

Next, the operation of the workstation 300 will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 5. The document data edited by the edit input device 2 and stored is read from the floppy disk 3 (step S310).
The code information CD of the document data is converted in data format (step S311). And CRT
One page of document contents is displayed on 301 (step S3
12) The image data output position of the image read from the layout mount or the like is designated by the mouse 306, keyboard 302, and digitizer 303 (step S313), and page description data for each page is created together with the frame of the layout mount (step S314). ). Such data creation is performed for all pages (step S315), and then an imposition instruction for creating a printing block is issued using the keyboard 302 (step S316), and impositioned page description data is created (step S317). ). Then, the file server 20
The created data is transferred to 0 (step S318).
, The image setter 400 is instructed to output an image, and the operation ends (step S319).

Next, with reference to FIG. 6, an operation example at the time of imposition will be described. The workstation 300 reads the image data thinned out from the hard disks 220, 221, ... Of the file server 200 (step S33).
0), read the document data from the floppy disk 3 (step S331), C of the workstation 300
Display necessary information on RT301 and mouse 30
6, the keyboard 302 and the digitizer 303 are operated to lay out images, documents and frames page by page (step S332). Then, the type of imposition registered in advance is designated by the keyboard 302 (step S33).
3) Each page is laid out and displayed together with the number of pages on the CRT 301 in the instructed imposition state (for example, A to D in the figure) (step S334). Here, the imposition registration is stored with the number of pages pre-assigned in consideration of folding at the time of bookbinding of a plurality of pages, for example, 4 pages of A4 or 8 pages of A5. 6A to 6D, the imposition state is determined by the number of pages (“1”, “8”, “5” in B,
It is displayed together with "4". As described above, the contents such as images and characters are not displayed, and the image setter 400 generates and outputs a bitmap according to the page description data (step S335).

FIG. 7 shows an example of the configuration of the imagesetter 400. The sequencer 410 is connected to a CPU bus 412 and an image data bus 413, and is also connected to a logical operation circuit 420 and a first memory 421. Further, the main memory 430 for the CPU 401 is connected to the CPU bus 412, the common memory 424 is connected between the common memory 424 and the image data bus 413, and the interface 4
The outputs of 02 and 403 are input to the CPU bus 412. CPU bus 412 and image data bus 413
A buffer 433, a decompressor 440, and a third memory 423 are connected between the two, and a buffer 434, a raster image converter 431, and a second memory 422 are connected.
The buffer 435 and the output control circuit 436 are connected. The CPU bus 412 has a vector font memory 43.
2 is connected to the output control circuit 436 and the output buffer 4
The high image quality output device 10 and the laser beam printer 11 are connected via 36A. Vector font memory 4
In 32, a vector font necessary for the raster image converter 431 to generate a character bitmap is stored. Usually vector font is disk (22
0,221, ...), but since it is inefficient to read the vector font via the SCSI bus every time the character bitmap is generated, all the necessary vector fonts are stored in the vector font memory 432 in advance. By reading it in, the speed of character bitmap generation is improved.

In such a structure, the operation is as shown in FIG.
First, an output instruction request is output from the file server 200 to the imagesetter 400 via the auxiliary data line 5 using the file name in the hard disks 220, 221, ... As a parameter. Specifications to be output from that file are written in the file, and the specifications are sequentially decoded to calculate the address of the code data and the compressed data for each unit image, and the overlapping process by the logical operation is repeated for the address, The processing result is stored in the first memory 421. The imagesetter 400 calls the parameter file via the SCSI bus and repeats this operation. For the code data, for example, character code and instruction information such as position, typeface, size, etc. are input via the SCSI interface 403 (step S400), and converted into a raster image by the raster image converter 431 via the buffer 434 (step S401). ), The raster image data is stored in the second memory 422 (step S402). The image data that has been compressed is input via the interface 403 via the SCSI bus (step S403), decompressed by the decompressor 440 via the buffer 433 and restored (step S40).
4) The restored image data is stored in the third memory 423 (step S405). Further, the bitmap data such as logos stored in the hard disks 220, 221, ... Is input via the interface 403 (step S406) and stored in the common memory 424 (step S407). The data stored in the second memory 422 to the common memory 424 are all bitmap data, and these stored data are logically operated by the logical operation circuit 420 via the CPU 401 (step S410).
Data that has been logically operated so as to synthesize, edit, or image-process a picture, a document, or the like is stored in the first memory 421 (step S411). After the data is stored in the first memory 421, it is judged whether or not it is finished, that is, whether there is no correction or addition (step S412), and the above operation is continued until the logical operation such as correction is finished. This logical operation circuit 420 performs logical operations such as sum, product, difference, exclusive OR of bit map data generated from code data such as characters, bit map data obtained by expanding compressed image data, and bit map data with the CPU 401. The image information to be output to the high-quality image output device 10 or the laser beam printer 11 is generated in cooperation with each other.

When transferring the edited data edited by the workstation 300 to the imagesetter 400 via the file server 200, the file server 2
It is necessary to convert this into a command that can be read by 00, and conventionally, this conversion is all done by a program. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing this state. First, the edit data of the minimum operation unit is read (step S10).
0), and thereafter, a use start command for the output frame, the page frame, and the 0th-order frame of the rectangular frame which is defined to never overlap with other images is issued (step S101). Then, the object type is determined according to the number of objects (step S102), and the process is performed for each determined object type. For example, if the object type is a line, a line command is issued (step S110), and if the object type is a figure, a command to start using the primary frame of the rectangular frame that allows overlapping with other images is first issued. Is output (step S120). Then, it is determined whether or not the bitmap processing is required (step S121), and if necessary, the type of the processing is determined (step S122). ..., n are issued (steps S123 and S124). After that processing, or if the bitmap processing is not needed,
Output the command to end the use of the primary frame (step S1
25). After such processing for each object, a use end command for an output frame, a page frame, a 0th-order frame, etc. is issued (step S103). Each predetermined process is also executed for other object types.

When the processing is executed by software for each object type as described above, when a program of one object type is changed due to a change in specifications, the program of another object type is also affected. I will end up. Therefore, the independence of the program is left to the discretion of the programmer who creates the program, and it is difficult to ensure the independence of the program. In addition, there is a drawback that the work efficiency is very poor because the specification cannot be actually made unless the program is changed and the test is repeated several times.
In view of the above problem, in the present invention, command conversion is not entirely performed by software, but a conversion table is provided in hardware for each object type, and the corresponding conversion table is read and used according to the discrimination of the object type. ing. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the present invention, and the operation will be described below.

First, as in the conventional case, the edit data is read (step S1), and a use start command for an output frame, page frame, etc. is issued according to the output instruction (step S2). Then, the object type is discriminated according to the number of objects (step S3). As the object type, presence / absence of image, halftone dot, halftone dot percentage, hatching, presence / absence of outline, shadowing, presence of bag character, white border, mask, etc. , Etc., and the conversion table is provided in advance in the command table corresponding to each of these object types. When the object type is determined, the presence or absence of the conversion table is determined (step S4). If there is no conversion table, a line command is issued (step S5). If the conversion table is present, the conversion table of the command is read from the command table. Put out (step S10). In the read conversion table, parameters are automatically generated according to the number of commands and the number of parameters (steps S11 and S12), and the operation ends.
The number of commands indicates the number of commands from opening to closing within one command, and the number of parameters indicates the number of parameters to be generated.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, a large amount of character and picture image data can be edited at high speed, and a high-quality printing image with a layout-designated appearance can be output. Processing and conversion described in a program in an image processing system that can easily perform bitmapping of vector information and image processing, processing, and editing by hardware, and can layout and output characters and pictures Since the processes described in the table are separated from the design stage, the independence of each process can be clarified.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram (workstation, input controller) showing a configuration example of an image processing system.

FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram (file server) showing an example configuration of an image processing system.

FIG. 3 is a block configuration diagram (image setter) showing a configuration example of an image processing system.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an input controller.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation example of a workstation.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an imposition operation.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of an imagesetter.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation example thereof.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a conventional processing example.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing example of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Input Device 2 Editing Input Device 3 Floppy Disk 10 High Quality Output Device 100 Input Controller 200 File Server 300 Workstation 301 CRT 302 Keyboard 303 Digitizer 306 Mouse 400 Imagesetter 101 CPU 201 CPU 401 CPU

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An input controller adapted to store density data of an image read by an input device, and code information edited by an editing input device and the image data for screen editing using a display means. And a file for storing the image data, the code information, and the edit data screen-edited on the workstation in the storage means, the workstation being connected to the input controller and the workstation An image processing system comprising a server and an image setter configured to read out edited data stored in the storage means, perform necessary data processing, and output an image to an image output device. Prepare a conversion table for each object type of data in the When the edit data edited by the workstation using the stored data stored in the file server is transferred to the imagesetter via the file server, the object type of the edit data is determined, and the determination result is determined according to the determination result. An image processing method, characterized in that the conversion table is read, and the edited data is converted into a command sequence that can be read by the imagesetter using the read conversion table. 2. An input controller adapted to store density data of an image read by an input device, and code information edited by an editing input device and the image data for screen editing using a display means. And a file for storing the image data, the code information, and the edit data screen-edited on the workstation in the storage means, the workstation being connected to the input controller and the workstation An image processing system comprising: a server; and an image setter configured to read out edited data stored in the storage means, perform necessary data processing, and output an image to an image output device. Edited on the workstation using stored data stored in An image processing apparatus comprising: a conversion table for each object type that converts the edit data into a command string that can be read by the imagesetter when the edit data is transferred to the imagesetter via the file server.