JPH06100811B2 - Layout scanner system - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a layout scanner system used for plate making of an original such as a color photograph, and particularly, the memory capacity is greatly reduced and the processing speed is greatly reduced. The present invention relates to a layout scanner system that is improved and can prevent input errors of reference points.

[Prior Art] Currently, in the field of plate making, a layout scanner system has been developed and put into practical use at the time of plate making of an original such as a color photograph. This layout scanner system has an editing function capable of outputting one or more images in a desired layout on one sheet of film. And this kind of layout scanner system is sold by many manufacturers,
It is an extremely innovative plate making system. Its general usage is, for example, a special process for eliminating acne, wrinkles, etc. of a person image, and a method for plate making (plate making). Moreover, printing of color photographs is generally handled as a temporary process, but for catalogs, pamphlets, leaflets, etc., once used photographs are subjected to image processing such as enlargement / reduction / rotation, In many cases, trimming is changed and reused or reused. Such work is generally called the former as a plate-making work and the latter as a plate-making work using a database.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, frequently used (diverted or reused) color photographs or the like can be stored in a recording medium such as a magnetic tape or a magnetic disk and reused. And at this time, enlargement
Processing such as reduction and rotation is possible, but it takes time and productivity is low. That is, as a cause of this, when a color photograph is used for printing, in general, there is almost no case where full trimming is performed, and in most cases, 30 to 40% is cut. However, the current layout scanner system does not take any measures against such a problem, and simply accesses the entire area with the file name of the photograph or the like regardless of the size of the trimming size. For this reason, processing such as enlarging / reducing / rotating is generally performed by sine / cosine transformation by affine transformation, but it takes a very long time to process the area other than the necessary area. Not used. Furthermore, when arranging the color photographs, it is necessary for the worker to display the photographs one by one on the display and arrange them, which makes it difficult to achieve complete automation.

As described above, in the conventional layout scanner system, since the image processing is performed to the area other than the necessary area, not only the capacity of the storage medium of the system is used more than necessary but also the processing time is long. As a result, the work efficiency is lowered, and there is a problem in improving the quality of the plate making which occupies an important position in the printed matter producing process and in shortening the delivery time. Further, there is a problem that the arrangement after the image processing accompanied by the rotation processing cannot be automatically performed.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and automatically determines a necessary (processing) area in a document and executes image rotation processing, and performs a plurality of reference operations. By checking the input order of the points, it is possible to greatly reduce the amount of information and the amount of memory required when performing various types of image processing, and to greatly improve the processing speed. An object of the present invention is to provide a layout scanner system which can be automatically arranged and can prevent input errors of reference points.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, in a layout scanner system having an editing function capable of outputting at least one image in a desired layout on one film, Image input means for inputting the image, color-separating the image information and outputting the image information, first storage means for storing the image information output from the image input means, and layout designation paper or a block copy. Input means for reading positional information such as plate making size and mask information, second storage means for storing positional information output from the input means, and magnification angle calculating means for measuring the magnification and inclination angle of the document in the finished state. The image information output from the image display means and the image input means is added to the image information by adding coordinate information of a plurality of reference points regarding trimming to the data. A third storage means for storing the image information and the position information stored in the first and second storage means,
A function of displaying this information on the image display means based on the information on the magnification and the tilt angle output from the magnification angle output means, and the coordinates of the reference point of the image information to be image-processed stored in the third storage means. A function of calculating the coordinates of the area to be trimmed from the information, calculating the trimming start point and the trimming end point, and processing the trimming start point and the trimming start point, and the coordinate information of the reference point of the image information to be image-processed stored in the third storage unit. In addition, a function of performing image rotation processing using the baseline information or image tilt angle information as a parameter of the rotation processing as necessary, and a line formed by a plurality of reference points newly input at the time of diversion or reuse of the document. Color scanner of line segments formed by a plurality of reference points of image information to be image-processed stored in the third storage unit An image processing unit having a function of determining whether or not the angle is deviated by 90 degrees or more in the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction from the angle with respect to the base line, and if it is deviated by 90 degrees or more, a warning to that effect is output. Prepared and configured.

[Operation] Therefore, in the layout scanner system of the present invention, when storing image information as a database, in addition to various attributes such as a file name as in a normal database, coordinates of a plurality of reference points for trimming are stored. By adding the information, it is possible to automatically calculate and process the area to be trimmed of the image information to be subjected to the image processing and the reference point for the layout, and to perform the image rotation processing. As a result, it is possible to significantly reduce the image processing size, reduce the amount of information and memory, and increase the processing speed, and it is possible to automatically perform the arrangement after the image processing accompanied by the rotation processing. Further, by checking the input order of a plurality of reference points that are newly input at the time of diversion or reuse of the original, the access area to be image-processed is trimmed and the image in the database is rotated. In this case, it is possible to prevent an input error of a plurality of reference points.

Example First, the concept of the present invention will be described.

In the layout scanner system, which is equipped with an editing function that performs color separation of color originals and at the same time the final finishing layout, that is, a full-page typesetting function, color originals are placed on the scanner drum in order to operate the system as efficiently as possible. It is extremely important to paste at a predetermined accurate angle. Further, in this case, an arbitrary point (referred to as a reference point or a singular point) for aligning the pattern of the color original can be designated as shown in, for example, "Japanese Patent Application No. 58-217258".

On the other hand, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show an angle calculated by a device for bonding an original at a predetermined accurate angle (generally, a magnification angle adjusting device) and the original is stuck on the original drum of the color scanner. It shows the state of being closed. In the figure, 13 is a color scanner document drum, 14 is a document, and 15 is a document.
Is the baseline of the color scanner document drum 13. FIG. 4 shows an image input start point S and an end point E, and image reference points P ₁ and P ₂ when the original pasted in FIG. 3 is input by full trimming. . What is important here is that, as shown in FIG. 5, two reference points P ₁ and P on the digital signal color-separated by the color scanner are used.
If there are ₂ coordinates (or addresses), the acquisition origin S of the digital image can be easily calculated from the scanning line density and the magnification at the time of color separation even if the size is changed.

According to the present invention, when storing a color original document as a digital image database in this way, in addition to various attributes such as a file name as in a normal character database, a plurality of reference points P ₁ , P ₂ The coordinate (address) information of is added. Here, when creating a database of image information of color originals, it is necessary to create a database by full trimming (up to the black edges of color photographs). This is because it is not possible to determine whether the entire color photograph or only a part of the color photograph is used when it is reused or diverted. On the other hand, if you want to reuse the color manuscripts (photos) in the database,
If, for example, a trimming area indicated by a broken line size in FIG. 5 is designated at the stage of creating a printed matter, a new trimming start point S'and end point E '(required image area) are resolving power, enlargement, Image processing can be performed by simply obtaining from the relationship between the reduction ratio, the new trimming size (broken line size) and the reference point. Further, the coordinate information of the reference points P _1, P _2, reference point P ₁ with respect to the baseline of the color scanner, P
The angle of the line segment of ₂ can be captured as information. The black edge of the photo original may be used instead of the line segment of the reference points P ₁ and P ₂ . Then, by holding this angle information as a parameter, the new angle obtained when it is reused is compared with the angle input when the database is constructed,
Rotation processing can be performed without going through the hands of workers.

On the other hand, in FIG. 5, consider the meaning of the plurality of reference points P ₁ and P ₂ . That is, P ₁ is used as a reference point for trimming a required area, and P ₂ is used as a reference point for determining an angle. Of course, the angle cannot be obtained unless the two points P ₁ and P ₂ are given. In this case, as a problem when a plurality of reference points P ₁ and P ₂ are input, if the input order of the reference points P ₁ and P ₂ is incorrect, the trimming area information and the angle information become completely different information. Inconvenience will occur. When reusing a databased manuscript, it may be used at a slight angle, but 90
As a general rule, there is no deviation from the degree.

Therefore, in the present invention, if the input order of the plurality of reference points P ₁ and P ₂ is incorrect, the angle of the line segment formed by the plurality of newly input reference points with respect to the base line of the color scanner, Rather than the angle of the line segment made up of multiple reference points in the database in advance to the baseline of the color scanner
In this case, an alarm to that effect is output because it will be offset by 90 degrees or more.

An embodiment of the present invention based on the above concept will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a layout scanner system according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the layout scanner system of this embodiment has a color scanner 1 as an image input means, a magnetic disk 2 as a first storage means, a digitizer 3 as an interactive input means, and a graphic display. 4 and the magnetic disk 5 or the floppy disk 6 which is the second storage means.
A magnification angle setting device 7 and a floppy disk 8 which are magnification angle setting means, a color display 9 which is an image display means, and an optical disk 10 which is a third storage means.
And a computer 11 which is an image processing means and an output machine 12 which is an output means.

Here, the color scanner 1 is for inputting an image of a color photograph which is a document, and for color-separating this image information for output. Further, the magnetic disk 2 stores image information output from the color scanner 1. On the other hand, the digitizer 3 reads the positional information such as the plate-making size and mask information shown on the block and displays the positional information on the graphic display 4. Also,
The magnetic disk 5 or the floppy disk 6 stores the position information output from the digitizer 3. Further, the magnification angle calculating device 7 measures the magnification and the inclination angle of the document in the finished state and stores it in the floppy disk 8.

On the other hand, the optical disc 10 stores the image information output from the color scanner 1 as a database by adding coordinate information of a plurality of (two in this example) reference points regarding trimming to the image information. . Further, the computer 11 reads out the image information and the position information stored in the magnetic disk 2 and the magnetic disk 5, respectively, and based on the information of the magnification and the tilt angle stored in the floppy disk 8, the computer 11 reads the information. , A function of calculating the coordinates of the area to be trimmed from the coordinate information of the reference points of the image information to be image-processed stored on the optical disc 10, and calculating and processing the trimming start and end points. , A function of executing image rotation processing by using coordinate information of two reference points of image information to be image-processed stored on the optical disc 10, as a parameter of rotation processing, and diversion or re-use of a color photograph as an original. When using, the angle of the line segment formed by the two newly input reference points with respect to the baseline of the color scanner is
Is the line segment formed by the two reference points of the image information to be image-processed stored in the optical disc 10 shifted by 90 degrees or more in the clockwise direction (or counterclockwise direction) from the angle with respect to the base line of the color scanner? It has a function of determining whether or not, and if it is deviated by 90 degrees or more, it outputs a warning to that effect by voice. Further, the output machine 12 outputs the processing information in the computer 11 as a plate-making film.

Next, in the layout scanner system configured as described above, the image information of the color photograph color-separated by the color scanner 1 is once stored in the magnetic disk 2. Further, position information such as plate-making size and mask information shown on the layout-designated paper or block copy is read by an appropriate means such as the digitizer 3 and stored in the magnetic disk 5 or the floppy disk 6, and a graphic display is made. 4 is displayed above. Further, the magnification and the tilt angle of the original document in the finished state are measured by the magnification angle setting device 7 and stored in the floppy disk 8. Furthermore, the image information output from the color scanner 1 is stored in the optical disc 10 as a database with the coordinate information of the _two reference points P ₁ and P ₂ regarding trimming added to this image information.

On the other hand, in the computer 11, the two reference points P ₁ and P _{2 of the} image information stored in the optical disk 10 and to be subjected to the image processing are stored.
Calculate the coordinates of the area to be trimmed from the coordinate information of
The trimming start point S and end point E are calculated, and image processing involving rotation processing is performed. That is, the magnetic disk 2
The image information and the position information stored in the magnetic disk 5 are read out, and this information is displayed on the color display 9 based on the magnification and the tilt angle information stored in the floppy disk 8. In this case, the computer 11 adjusts the relative position between the line indicating the mask displayed on the color display 9 and the color-separated image information, and the color-separated image information is subjected to image rotation processing. The image information and the position information are automatically arranged at a predetermined position and combined. By performing such image processing on each color-separated image, the positions of all the images to be output on one film are determined and output as a plate-making film. If necessary, a color hard copy machine (not shown) may be used to output the color hard copy.

Further, in the above, when reusing a color photograph, which is an original document stored in the database on the optical disc 10, when it is desired to rotate it by a certain angle and use it, two reference points P ₁ are used to obtain the angle. Enter, P ₂ . And in this case the reference point for trimming the required area
If the input order of P ₁ and the reference point P ₂ for determining the angle is wrong, the line scanner of the line segment formed by the two newly input reference points P ₁ and P ₂ The angle with respect to the base line 15 deviates from the angle with respect to the base line 15 of the color scanner of the line segment formed by the _two reference points P ₁ and P ₂ stored in advance on the optical disc 10 by 90 degrees or more, so a warning to that effect is issued by a voice. Is output from the computer 11 through an audio output means (not shown). Therefore, the worker can confirm the warning output and re-input the _two reference points P ₁ and P ₂ in the correct order to correct the _two , so that the image can be properly arranged and angled. .

As described above, in the layout scanner system of the present embodiment, when storing the image information of the color photograph which is the original document as a database, in addition to various attributes such as the file name as in a normal database, there are two items related to trimming. The coordinate information of the reference points P ₁ and P ₂ is added, the coordinates of the area to be trimmed are calculated from the coordinate information of the _two reference points P ₁ and P ₂ of the image information to be image processed, and the trimming Since the start point S ′ and the end point E ′ are calculated and the image rotation processing is executed, the area to be trimmed of the image information to be subjected to the image processing and the reference point for the arrangement are automatically determined. Can be calculated and processed. As a result, it is possible to significantly reduce the image processing size, reduce the amount of information and memory, and increase the processing speed, and it is possible to automatically perform the arrangement after the image processing accompanied by the rotation processing.

That is, in FIG. 5, for example, when printing the size of a captured color photograph, the resolution is 12 lines / mm,
The sizes in the X and Y directions are 15 cm and 10 cm.
In addition, the trimming size when reusing the color photos stored in the database (size S'E 'in FIG. 5 broken line size)
Is 10 cm and 6 cm in the X and Y directions. Here, in the conventional image processing method, all images are accessed regardless of the size of the trimming size. When the data amount in this case is calculated, it becomes (150 × 12) × (100 × 12) × 4 = 8640000 bytes. However, the depth of one pixel is 8 bits. On the other hand, according to the image processing method of the present embodiment, a really necessary (processing) area is automatically calculated in one color photograph, and this area (S′E ′ in FIG. 5) is calculated. Only the broken line size) is accessed. When the data amount in this case is calculated, it becomes (100 × 12) × (60 × 12) × 4 = 3456000 bytes.
That is, the access size can be greatly reduced from 8.6 MB in the past to 3.5 MB in the present embodiment.

Further, the input order of the _two reference points P ₁ and P ₂ newly input at the time of diverting or reusing the original color photograph is checked, so that the access area to be image-processed is trimmed. It is possible to prevent the input error of the _two reference points P ₁ and P ₂ when rotating the image stored in the database. As a result, it is possible to check the area trimming information and the angle setting information as a result.

As described above, in the layout scanner system of the present embodiment, since the image processing is performed only on the required area of the color photograph which is the original, the capacity of the storage medium (magnetic disk 2, 5 etc.) of the system is more than necessary. It is not used for a long time, and the processing time is short, resulting in improved work efficiency and increased productivity about 10 times, improving the quality of plate making, which is an important part of the printed matter production process, and shortening the delivery time. Can be realized. It is also possible to automatically perform the arrangement after the image processing accompanied by the rotation processing. Furthermore, because the input order of the _two reference points P ₁ and P _{2 that} are input when diverting or reusing color photographs is checked, the access area that is the target of image processing is trimmed, or a database is created. It is also possible to prevent the input error of the _two reference points P ₁ and P ₂ when the rotated image is rotated.

In the above embodiment, the reference point information of the original color photograph is fetched at the time of image input, but the addition of the reference point information is instructed on the color display 9 connected to the computer 11. It is also possible to do so.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the reference point is set in the pattern of the color photograph.
Although P ₁ and P ₂ have been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and any point on the color photograph or any point outside the color photograph may be set. Of course, the point S, which is the input origin, may be used as the reference point, but it is more efficient to arrange the reference point in the newly trimmed portion (broken line). Use as points.

On the other hand, in the above embodiment, the case where the reference point P ₁ serves both as the area trimming point and the angle calculation point has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the reference point P ₁ serves as the area trimming point, and is referred to for angle determination. It does not matter if the third reference point P ₃ is input together with the point P ₂ .

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the original is a color photograph has been described, but it goes without saying that it may be other than this.

Further, in the above embodiment, when the input error of the reference point is determined, an alarm to that effect is output by voice, but it is also possible to output the alarm by a method other than this (for example, display display). Needless to say.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the input order of the reference points P ₁ and P ₂ is checked by the computer 11 has been described, but it goes without saying that the processing may be performed by the magnification angle setting device 7 which is a preprocessing device. It is possible.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, a necessary area (to be processed) in a document is automatically determined, image rotation processing is executed, and the input order of a plurality of reference points is checked. Therefore, it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of information and the amount of memory required when performing various types of image processing, significantly improve the processing speed, and automatically perform the arrangement after image processing involving rotation processing. It is possible to provide a layout scanner system that is capable of preventing input errors of reference points.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a layout scanner system according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 5 are conceptual diagrams for explaining the concept of the present invention. 1 ... Color scanner, 2 ... Magnetic disk, 3 ...
… Digitizer, 4 …… Graphic display, 5
... magnetic disk, 6 ... floppy disk, 7 ...
Magnification angle adjuster, 8 ... Floppy disk, 9 ...
Color display, 10 ... Optical disk, 11 ... Computer, 12 ... Output machine.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A layout scanner system having an editing function capable of outputting at least one image in a desired layout on one film, inputting an image of a document, color-separating and outputting the image information. Image input means, first storage means for storing image information output from the image input means, and input means for reading positional information such as plate-making size and mask information shown on the designated layout paper or block copy Second storage means for storing the positional information output from the input means, magnification angle setting means for measuring the magnification and inclination angle of the document in the finished state, image display means, and output from the image input means. Third storage means for storing the image information to be stored as a database by adding coordinate information of a plurality of reference points regarding trimming to the image information. The image information and the position information stored in the first and second storage means are read out, and this information is displayed on the image display means on the basis of the magnification and tilt angle information output from the magnification angle calculating means. A function to perform, the coordinates of the area to be trimmed is calculated from the coordinate information of the reference point of the image information to be image-processed stored in the third storage means, and the trimming start point and end point are calculated and processed. Function, a function of executing image rotation processing using coordinate information of a plurality of reference points of image information to be image processed stored in the third storage means as parameters of rotation processing, and diversion of a document. Alternatively, the angle of the line segment formed by the plurality of reference points newly input at the time of reuse with respect to the base line of the color scanner becomes the image processing target stored in the third storage means. If a line segment made up of multiple reference points of the image information is offset by 90 degrees or more in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction from the angle with respect to the base line of the color scanner, if it is offset by 90 degrees or more. A layout scanner system, comprising: an image processing unit having a function of outputting a warning to that effect;