JPH0321942B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to an image processing device that can electronically perform various composite image processing.

<Prior Art> Recently, electronic image processing devices have been proposed that input images from television cameras, video tape recorders, etc., add lines to the images, synthesize other images, and change colors. There is. This type of device does not require paint to create images, and it is very easy to save, partially modify, and reproduce images, so it will be used in the design field and other art fields. It is thought that it will spread to the hobby field, etc.

By the way, conventional image creation devices mainly accept handwritten input. Therefore, the method for creating an image is to first select a color, specify the pen thickness, and then
The usual method was to draw lines on the display screen using a Ride pen, digitizer, etc.
In addition, pens not only allow you to change their thickness, but also allow you to draw airbrush-like lines or create oil painting-like brush strokes, allowing you to create oil-painting-like images on the display. The device has also been announced. However, creating images by hand in this way is very time consuming. In particular, when creating a color gradation image, inputting the color data is difficult because the color data is complex. It also requires a certain level of drawing talent, making it difficult for ordinary people to create artistic pictures.

Now, as mentioned above, images are generated using video signals from television cameras, video tape recorders, etc.
It is also possible to input by A/D conversion. With this image input method, the time required to input one image is about 1/30 second, and images can be input much faster than handwritten input.

Therefore, one attractive image creation method is to input the image you want to draw from a television camera or the like, process it with a microprocessor, and convert it into an image similar to an oil painting. According to this method, it is expected that an image resembling an oil painting can be created very quickly and even without drawing talent. Such an image creation method is also described in the same applicant's patent application dated March 22, 1980 entitled "Image Quality Changing Device."

However, in reality, an easy-to-use system as an image processing device requires more than just a single image quality change function; it also requires a color change function, a screen compositing function, etc. functions must be organically combined. especially,
For various image processing, (1) the processing is performed only on a part of the screen, (2) the processing is performed in an orderly pattern on the screen, (3) the processing is performed on a specific color on the screen, or Like the edge part of the image, etc.
A type of processing that is limited to an area that satisfies conditions determined by image data, (4) performs the processing on the entire screen, and (5) allows a human to instruct interactively where to perform the processing. However, various variations can be considered in its application method. However, in the conventional method, processing and processing exclusion conditions are
Image processing is not done with the idea that it should be handled separately. For example, if we take a command to blur an image or draw a line, it is an independent command to blur the entire screen or draw a line. However, by setting various processing conditions in advance, it was not possible to perform the complex processing required to easily create artistic images such as blurring drawn lines.

<Objective of the Invention> The object of the present invention is to arbitrarily select and set image processing contents and corresponding condition settings from predetermined options, which conventionally existed independently as single-function processing. The objective is to provide an image processing device with excellent operability by combining these two methods.

<Summary of the Invention> In order to achieve the above object, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention is an image processing apparatus for performing various processes on an image based on setting conditions selected from a plurality of options. , a scanning method selection and setting means for selecting and setting a scanning method for arbitrarily extracting scanning points on one image from among calculation scanning and full-scale scanning, and processing area conditions and density for determining whether or not to perform processing at scanning points. A judgment criterion selection setting means for arbitrarily selecting and setting one judgment criterion from conditions and data conditions; An element figure selection setting means for selecting and setting one element figure, and a process selection setting for selecting and setting any one processing content from among writing processing, blurring processing, color averaging processing, color tone changing processing, and monochrome processing. means, and performs composite image processing based on each parameter of the scanning method, judgment criteria, element figure, and processing content selected and set by each of the means. be.

In other words, the present invention is capable of scanning a specific area on an image specified by an arbitrary method or all areas of the image based on the scanning method selected by the scanning method selection and setting means. Therefore, any one point on the image is extracted, and the processing for this one point is repeatedly performed on a plurality of points based on the element figure selected and set by the element figure selection setting means. .

Processes that can be performed using this device are the writing process, blurring process, color averaging process, color tone changing process, and monochrome process. Hereinafter, one point on the image obtained by scanning with the scanning method selected and set by this scanning method selection and setting means will be referred to as a "scanning point P", and among this scanning point P, the above-mentioned judgment will be made. The point that is to be processed as a result of the judgment based on the judgment criteria selected and set by the standard selection setting means is called a "scanning point P'," and the point that is further selected by the element figure selection setting means is called a "scanning point P'." The point at which actual processing is to be executed, which is determined based on the set element figure, is called a "processing point Qi."

The feature of the present invention is that using this concept of processing points,
The composite image processing process is executed by independently setting each parameter of the following four setting items.

The four parameters are 1) How to scan the image to find the scanning point P 2) The scanning point that should be processed among the scanning points P
Judgment criteria for determining P′ 3) Element figure for determining the processing point Q _i at which actual processing is to be performed based on the scanning point P′ determined above 4) For the above processing point Q _i This is the processing content to be performed.

<Example> An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an apparatus according to the present invention.

The control microprocessor 1 is connected via a bus 2 to a ROM 3 that stores a control program.
It is connected to a RAM 4 for storing control variables and a command input device 5 such as a keyboard for inputting control commands. Furthermore, two image memories A6 and B7 and an external storage device 9 such as a floppy disk or a hard disk are connected to the bus 2 via an interface 8. For inputting commands, the coordinate input device 10 such as a digitizer or tablet may be used in place of the keyboard, etc., and the command may be selected from a displayed menu by operating a cursor.

An image input device 11 for inputting original images from a television camera, video tape recorder, television tuner, video disc player, etc. is an A/D converter 1 that converts an analog signal into a digital signal.
2, the original image is input to the drawing memory A6. Further, the display 13 displays the contents of the image memory B7 via an A/D converter 14 that converts a digital signal into an analog signal. Also, 1
Reference numeral 5 denotes an area specification memory C for one screen for specifying an area.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the image processing process.

Here, the scanning point P, the scanning point P' determined based on the judgment criteria, and the processing point are assumed to be Qi.

In step 1, the initial value of the scanning point P is set. This initial value is determined by the scanning method selected and set. In step 2, it is determined whether or not to perform processing at scanning point P. The judgment is made based on selected and set judgment criteria. Here, if it is determined that no processing is to be performed at the scanning point P, the processing jumps to step 5. Step 3 is the part where the processing point Qi is determined based on the scanning point P' that is to be processed. To determine this processing point Qi,
There is a method using small figures called element figures.

This will be explained using FIGS. 3a and 3b. Third
Figure a is an example of an element figure. In this case, the reference point is A, and the element figure consists of four points B ₁ to B ₄ around the reference point A.
The processing point Qi is a point included in the element figure when the element figure is drawn based on the scanning point P'. This situation is shown in FIG. 3b. _Q1 to _Q4 are processing points (dots).

Returning to FIG. 2 again, in step 4, the processing contents selected and set in advance are applied to the processing points Q ₁ to Q _N (N is the number of structural points of the element figure) determined in step 3. , write processing,
This is a part that performs any one of blurring processing, color averaging processing, color tone changing processing, and monochrome processing. In step 5, the next scanning point P is calculated according to a preset method. In step 6, it is determined whether or not to end the process. If the process is to be continued, the process moves to step 2.

As is clear from the above description, the processing process of the present invention includes (1) a method of scanning an image to obtain a scanning point P, and (2) determining a scanning point P' to be processed among the scanning points P. (3) an element figure for determining Qi at which actual processing should be performed based on the scanning point P′ determined above; (4) processing content to be performed on the processing point Qi; It has four types of vanameters, and they can be set independently. As a result, composite image processing such as blurring only the edge areas of an image can be easily performed.

There are the following methods for scanning scanning points.

1) Handwritten Scanning This is a method in which the operator directly inputs the coordinates of the scanning point P using a coordinate input device 10 such as a digitizer or a tablet. This method is used when writing handwritten characters, changing the color tone, blurring, etc., by directly specifying a location.

2) Calculation scanning This is a method in which the microprocessor 1 calculates the coordinates of a scanning point based on the coordinate points input by the operator using a digitizer or the like. For example, you can calculate a scanning point P by connecting points input by a person with a straight line, calculate a scanning point P by connecting them with a smooth curve, or calculate a scanning point P by inputting a center and radius and draw an arc. This is a method of calculating the scanning point P.

3) Full scan This is a method of automatically scanning the entire screen. In this case, several methods are possible depending on the order of scanning. For example, there is a raster scan method in which the screen is scanned horizontally one line at a time starting from the top left, or a method in which the screen is scanned in a spiral pattern from the center outward.

Judgment criteria include the following:

1) Processing area conditions These are conditions used when processing only a certain area on the screen. A specific method for this is to write information on locations where processing may be performed and locations where processing may not be performed in the area designation memory C15 corresponding to the screen. Then, whether or not to process a certain scanning point P is determined by looking at the data corresponding to the scanning point P on the memory C15.

2) Density condition This is a condition that determines the density (width, etc.) of the scanning point P on the screen. Specifically, a pattern is set in advance for the scanning point P, and it is determined whether or not to process the scanning point P according to the pattern.

3) Data conditions It is determined whether or not to perform processing based on the content of the scanning point P and the color information around it. For example, it is used when processing only points with a predetermined color tone or processing only the edges of an image.

The following methods are used to determine the processing point Qi (element figure).

1) Dot An element figure consisting of only one center point, and the processing point Qi is set to be only the center point (=scanning point P' that is to be processed). In other words, the same processing as when no element figure is used is performed.

2) Normal Element figures are relatively concentrated near the center point. It is proposed in the above-mentioned patent application ``Image Quality Changing Device'' dated March 22, 1981 by the same applicant that the image quality can be converted by using such a figure.

3) Multi This is an element figure made up of points that are relatively dispersed from a central point. If this figure is used, the processing points Qi are dispersed, so it is possible to create a figure with a repeating pattern.

Figure 4 a is dot, Figure 4 b is normal, Figure 4
Figure c is an example of a multi-element figure.

Finally, we will list the processing details.

1) Imprint processing On processing point Qi, memory B
This process replaces the color information in memory A6 with the color information in memory A6. The image on memory A6 is transferred to memory B6.
It is used when merging into an image or drawing a line on memory B6 using the color set in memory A6.

2) Blur processing The color information in a certain range on the memory A6 is averaged around the processing point Qi, and the processing point on the memory B7 is calculated using the average color information obtained.
This process replaces Qi's color information. It has the effect of blurring the image.

3) Color average processing On processing point Qi, memory A6
Take the average of the color information of and the color information of memory B7,
Using the obtained color information, the processing point Qi on memory B7 is
This process replaces the color information of . By averaging the two images, an image that looks like they are superimposed is obtained.

4) Color tone change processing Processing point on memory B7
This is a process in which a certain calculation is performed on the color information of Qi to change the color tone, and the color information of the processing point Qi on the memory B7 is replaced with the obtained information.
Used when changing the color tone of an image.

5) Monochrome processing This is a process in which the brightness is calculated from the color information of the processing point Qi in the memory B7, and the color information of the processing point Qi in the memory B7 is replaced with color information of an achromatic color having the brightness. By performing this processing, a black and white image is obtained.

For example, specific examples of partially changing the color of an image and processing edges to make them less conspicuous after image composition will be described below.

First, an example of composite processing in which a color is changed after specifying an area will be explained. Figure 5a is the original drawing. Here, a case is shown in which the color of the car is changed.

First, information indicating the part of the car is written on the area specification memory C15. Figure 5b is memory C1
In the contents of 5, the black part is the car area. A possible method for inputting this area is, for example, moving a cursor on the original image and surrounding the car part with a closed curve.

Next, processing parameters are set, and the scanning method is full-scale scanning (raster scan method).
As for processing conditions, only area conditions are set; density conditions and data conditions are not set. Dots are used for element shapes. The processing content is to change the color.

When the above parameters are set and the process is executed, the entire screen is scanned using the raster scan method, and the color is changed only in the area of the car that satisfies the area conditions. FIG. 5c shows the processing result.

Next, edge processing (blur the drawn line)
An example of complex processing will be explained below. If you cut out a certain part from one of two images and combine it with the other image, the edges will often be sharply cut and look unsightly. In this case, by blurring the edges, a natural image can be created. In this case, the blurring process needs to be performed only on the edges.

To do this, image processing can be performed by setting parameters as follows. First, the scanning method is handwritten scanning. No particular criteria for judgment are set. As the element figure, a normal figure (FIG. 4b) is set.
Here, if a large element figure is set, blurring will be performed in a wide range, and if a small element figure is set, blurring will be performed in a small area. The processing content is blurred.

By setting the above parameters and executing the process, handwritten input can be performed in the area to be blurred. Therefore, all you have to do is look at the screen and blur out the areas where the edges are noticeable.

<Effects of the Invention> As is clear from the above description, the present invention provides the following features: 1) A method of scanning an image to obtain a scanning point P 2) A scanning point to be processed among the scanning points P
Judgment criteria for determining P′ 3) Element figure for determining the processing point Qi at which actual processing is to be performed based on the scanning point P′ determined above 4) The processing performed for the above processing point Qi It performs composite image processing by setting four processing parameters independently, and can create various complex composite images to create pictures with a rich variety of expressive abilities that were previously impossible. processing,
Can be easily performed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart explaining the operation, FIGS. 3 a and b are diagrams explaining the relationship between processing points and element figures, and FIG. 4 a , b, and c are diagrams showing examples of element graphics, and FIGS. 5a, b, and c are diagrams for explaining specific examples of image processing. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Control microprocessor, 2... Bus, 5... Command input device, 6... Image memory A,
7... Image memory B, 11... Image input device, 1
2...A/D converter, 13...Display, 1
4...D/A converter, 15...memory for area specification
(C).

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In an image processing device for performing various types of processing on an image based on setting conditions selected from a plurality of options, an image processing device that performs various processing on an image arbitrarily from among handwritten scanning, calculation scanning, and full-scale scanning. a scanning method selection and setting means for selecting and setting a scanning method for extracting scanning points; and arbitrarily selecting one criterion from processing area conditions, density conditions, and data conditions for determining whether or not to perform processing at scanning points. and an element shape selection and setting means for arbitrarily selecting and setting one element shape from among a plurality of predetermined dot patterns having arbitrary shapes distributed around a center point. , processing selection setting means for arbitrarily selecting and setting one processing content from among writing processing, blurring processing, color averaging processing, color tone changing processing, and monochrome processing; 1. An image processing apparatus characterized in that composite image processing is executed based on parameters such as a scanning method and judgment criteria, an element figure, and processing contents.