JP2888349B2 - Image processing device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus such as a digital color copying machine for converting multi-valued color data into other color data.

[Conventional technology]

A color image processing apparatus which stores an image data density by designating an arbitrary point of a document and giving a certain width to an upper limit and a lower limit when the density is used as an extraction (color) color for color conversion. For example, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-192863 is known.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In the above prior art, since the color image processing apparatus handles multi-valued image data, unlike black and white binary data, there is a demand for converting substantially constant color data in a document into other color data. is there. For this reason, conventionally, a method of designating substantially the same density area of a document and storing the minimum and maximum color data from the scanner to set the density range is used. According to this method, the color may differ from the expected color due to the accuracy of the document position designation and the noise (scratch, dust, etc.) of the image data.
Further, according to the method of selecting a color from a color patch (color sample) or the like, there is a problem that the color is slightly different due to attachment of dust or dirt, or the material of the color patch paper or ink is not the same.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus in which an arbitrary point on a document is designated, a color patch is generated with color data at the arbitrary point as a center, a density range is set, and color conversion is performed. Is to do.

[Means for solving the problem]

The object is to provide a color image reading device for reading color image data, a color image recording device, and an arbitrary color image data read by the color image reading device in an image processing apparatus that performs predetermined image processing on color image data. Position specifying means for specifying a position, storage means for storing color image data based on the position specified by the position specifying means, and a color patch for outputting a color patch similar to the color image data stored in the storage means Output means, and color designation means for designating an arbitrary color from the color patch output by the color patch output means, and achieved by performing predetermined image processing based on the color designated by the color designation means. Is done.

Further, the above object is to output a color patch approximate to the color image data centered on the stored color image data, instead of the color patch output means for outputting a color patch similar to the stored color image data. This is also achieved by using color patch output means.

[Action]

The image processing apparatus operates to register the color of the black portion of the document as the extracted color, and operates to register the color of the color data to perform color conversion.

The image processing device operates to output a color patch, sets a conversion area, and operates to set conversion color data.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a basic configuration of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention. An image processing unit, 3 an image recording unit, 4 a color patch, 5 a comparison control unit, 6 a first selector, 7 a color data, 8 a second selector, 9 a first gamma (γ) correction unit, 10 a A color correction unit 11 is a second gamma (γ) correction unit. 1 and 2, the image processing apparatus includes:
The image reading unit 1 reads a document and converts it into a digital image. The image processing unit 2 performs digital image processing, and the image recording unit 3 outputs image data.
Here, the input image data is image data output from the image reading unit 1. The output image data is image data input to the image recording unit 3. In FIG. 2, a portion surrounded by a broken line is a block for the present invention.

Conventional mode, color patch mode, color conversion mode
I will explain separately.

1) Conventional mode The first selector 6 selects the input image data, and the second selector 8 selects the first selector 6.

The input image data (R, G, B) is input to the first γ correction unit 9 via the first selector 6 and the second selector 8. Here, the R, G, B system γ correction is performed. The data output from the first γ correction unit 9 is input to the color correction unit 10, where R, G, B
Performs GMY, Bk system color correction from the system. Color correction unit 10
Is output to the second γ correction unit 11,
The gamma correction according to the characteristics of the image recording unit 3 is performed.

2) Color patch mode The first selector 6 selects the color patch 4, and the second selector 8 selects the first selector 6.

The output of the color patch 4 is input to the first γ correction unit 9 via the first selector 6 and the second selector 8. After that, it is the same as the conventional mode.

Here, the color patch will be described. Here, a case where the density of the image recording unit 3 is 16 mm / dot will be described.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the comparison control unit in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a color patch generation circuit, FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the number of blocks generated for color expression, and FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a change pattern in one gradation of G. FIG. In FIGS. 3 and 4, 12, 13, and 14 are comparators, 15 is a main counter, 16 is a sub-counter, 17 is a ternary counter, 18 is a counter, 19 is a code selector, and 20 is a color data selector. is there.

In order to output the color patch 4 by hardware, the area size is set to 8K × 4K, and each of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) is expressed in 8 gradations and 512 colors. The number of generated blocks is 16.times.32 as shown in FIG. The change amount of G is a change as shown in FIG. The amount of change between R and G changes in a pattern as shown in FIG. 7 during one gradation of G. A 32 dot line (frame) is generated between each color. 6 and 7 are represented by Hex (hexadecimal) of 8-bit gradation. The circuit for generating the color patch 4 is as shown in FIG.

iPCLK is a pixel clock, H5 to H12 correspond to the bits of the main counter, and H12 corresponds to 4K. LSYNC is a line synchronization signal, LAD5 represents 20H corresponding to the bit of the sub-counter 16, the counter 18 counts up in LSYNC192 cycles,
V0 to V5 correspond to the bits of the counter 18. V0 is the LSB of the counter 18, and V5 corresponds to 6K lines.

When ID0 is H, the code-specific selector 19 selects H8 to H10 and passes them to the color data selector 20. Similarly ID1
When H is high, H11, V3, and V4 are selected. When ID2 is high, V0 to V2
Is selected. Data is output from the color data selector 20 according to the selected data. ID in Fig. 4
0 corresponds to G for ID1 and B for ID2. The number of the color data selector 20 is indicated by Hex of 8-bit gradation.

3) Color change mode The first selector 6 selects input image data.

The second selector 8 controls the color data 7 by the comparison control unit 5.
Or the first selector 6 (selects input image data). The portion outside the broken line is the same as in the conventional mode. The comparison and selection unit will be described with reference to FIG. The image data is R, G, B channels, and R, G, B comparators 12, 1 respectively.
Entered to 3,14. The comparison data R, G, and B, in which the operator sets an arbitrary value in advance, are also stored in the respective comparators 12, 13, and 1.
Entered in 4. Then, the image data R, G, B and the comparison data
Only when the values of R, G, and B match, the second selector 8
Is selected as the color data 7. The number of bits to be compared at this time is variable, and acts like a wind comparator.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the present invention.

Color registration (S1) 1). In order to read the first converted color (extracted color), position information of an arbitrary point in the document is input from a digitizer or the like.

2) A press scan is performed based on the position information in 1), and color data at an arbitrary point is stored. There is no output at this time.

3) First gamma correction 9 in FIG. 1 based on the color data of 2)
Convert the data of At this time, the central data is calculated in the system so as to be the color data of 2).

Color patch output (S2) After the press scan is completed, a color patch is output.
At this time, in the color registration S1, the data of the first γ correction 9 is output based on the data registered in color, so that the color patch outputs an approximate color registered in color. As shown in FIG. 5, a code is specified in the color patch, and the registered color is displayed as 30-3 or the like according to the operation guidance.

Color parameter input (S3) The operator selects a color to be converted from the color patches while viewing the color patches. Here, when inputting a color selected from the color patches, the color patch code is used. At this time, it is easier to compare the color (extracted color) to be subjected to color conversion with the one to be copied than with the original. Next, the color after conversion (color data) may select the color inside the system,
R, G, B or C, M, Y numerical values may be entered. Based on the above data, color data, comparison data, and the number of effective digits of the comparison data are set.

Copy Start (S4) FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the color conversion.
The copy start 4) will be described with reference to FIG. Register the color of the black part in the original (a) as the extraction color (the color to be converted) and register the color data (the converted color)
By registering the shaded color of (b), the color conversion from the color of the original (a) to (b) can be performed. In the figure, hatched portions indicate the converted colors.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. The difference from FIG. 1 is that the comparison control unit in FIG. Are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description is omitted. The selecting means by the selector control unit 21 may be a position specifying means or a specified density of an input image.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the operation procedure will be described using this flowchart.

1) Color patch output (S6) After judging the presence or absence of color patch output (S5), R, G, B
Data of 512 colors is output at each of eight gradations. Here, there is no need to output any previously output color patches.

2) Conversion area setting (S7) a) Method using position designation means (paint) A coordinate value around a portion where an expected color is to be generated is input to a digitizer or numeric keypad to set an area.

b) Method based on density range of input image (color conversion) A color to be converted is selected from color patches.
At this time, it is better to compare the color to be converted with the original rather than the original. When registering the color data selected from the color patches, a coordinate value may be input by a digitizer, or a code is specified in the color patch as shown in FIG.

3) Setting of converted color data (S8) The color data generated in the area specified in 2) is selected from the color patches. The selection is performed by the method selected in 2-b).

4) Copy start (S9) Copying starts at the end of the above settings. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the output result. FIG. 12 (a) is obtained by the position specifying means 2) -a), and FIG. 12 (b) is 2)-
This depends on the density range of the input image in b). In the figure, the shaded portions are the converted colors. By performing such operations, an arbitrary color in the color patch generated by the copying machine can be generated in a predetermined area and output.

In this embodiment, 512 basic colors are generated, but when other colors are required, they can be freely generated by changing the curve of the first γ correction 9 or the second γ correction 11. B may be set only at a high level, G may be set only at an intermediate level, and R may be set only at a low level. Since the color patch generation unit and the color data output are data of the same system (level conversion is not performed), no special calculation is required when setting the color data. If you need data other than the basic 512 colors, you need to do a little calculation, but that's not a problem. Since it is a color patch generated inside the copying machine, it is also effective for checking the internal state.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, (1) at the time of color conversion, by outputting a color patch approximate to the registered color, the range of the color to be converted can be clearly recognized. You can also check the color registration.

(2) Since an approximate color sample can be output, the color setting can be easily changed even if the color setting is incorrect.

(3) An arbitrary color can be designated and output from a color patch. For example, by selecting color data from a color patch generated inside a copying machine, a desired color can be matched. Color conversion becomes possible.

And so on.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a basic configuration of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a comparison control unit, FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of a color patch generation circuit, FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the number of blocks generated for color expression, FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the amount of change in green, and FIG. FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a change pattern during gradation, FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of color conversion, and FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the embodiment of FIG.
10 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the embodiment shown in FIG.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the output result. 1 image reading unit 2 image processing unit 3 image recording unit
4 color patch, 5 comparison control unit, 6 first selector, 7 color data, 8 second selector, 9 first gamma (γ) correction unit, 10 color correction unit, 11 second gamma ( γ) correction unit, 12, 13, 14 ... comparator, 15 ... main counter, 16
… Sub-counter, 17… Ternary counter, 18… Counter, 19…
Code-specific selector, 20 ... color data selector, 21 ... selector control unit.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-2-213273 (JP, A) JP-A-62-287776 (JP, A) JP-A-62-296669 (JP, A) JP-A 62-287669 251628 (JP, A) JP-A-63-125056 (JP, A) JP-A-1-501737 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G03G 13/01 G03G 15 / 01-15/01 117 G03G 15/00 303 G03G 21/00 370-540 G03G 21/02-21/04 G03G 21/14 G03G 21/20 G03G 15/36 H04N 1/46

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image processing apparatus for performing predetermined image processing on color image data, comprising: a color image reading means for reading color image data; a color image recording means; and an optional color image data read by the color image reading means. Position designating means for designating the position of the image data; storage means for storing color image data based on the position designated by the position designating means; and a color for outputting a color patch approximate to the color image data stored in the storage means. Patch output means; and color designation means for designating an arbitrary color from the color patches output by the color patch output means, wherein predetermined image processing is performed based on the color designated by the color designation means. An image processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. An image processing apparatus for performing predetermined image processing on color image data, comprising: a color image reading means for reading color image data; a color image recording means; and an optional color image data read by the color image reading means. Position specifying means for specifying the position of the image data; storage means for storing color image data based on the position specified by the position specifying means; and color image data centered on the color image data stored in the storage means. Color patch output means for outputting a color patch to be approximated, and color designation means for designating an arbitrary color from the color patches output by the color patch output means, based on the color designated by the color designation means An image processing apparatus for performing predetermined image processing on the image.