JPH02227775A - Picture memory - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to an image storage device.

[Prior Art] When storing input image information, a conventional image storage device compresses the input image information itself using one of several compression methods. The results were stored as compressed image data.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, in the conventional device described above, if the image information is the same, the difference in the storage capacity of the compressed image data is only the difference in the compression method. In this case, the storage capacity would be the same and there would be a problem that the storage capacity could not be reduced any further.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an image processing system having means for inputting image information, and means for compressing and storing the image information inputted by the input means. In the storage device, a means for performing a logical operation on the image information input by the input means and fixed information such as a format to extract variable information different from the fixed information, and compressing the variable information extracted by the extracting means. and control means for storing the fixed information in the storage means in association with the fixed information.

Furthermore, reading the variable information stored in the storage means,
and means for decompressing the fixed information and performing a logical operation on the fixed information to generate original image information for the variable information.

[Operation] With the above configuration, when inputting and storing a plurality of pieces of image information, the image information can be stored in a smaller capacity than when inputted image information is compressed and stored as is.

In addition, when reading out, decompressing, and displaying a stored image, the decompression and readout of the second and subsequent images involves only the variable information of the image, so compared to the case where the input image is compressed as is and the stored data is decompressed and read out. , the decompression read time can be shortened.

[Examples] Examples according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematic diagram of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment, and includes a processing apparatus main body (control section) l and other configurations shown below. 2 is a scanner that reads images, and 3 is a display device that displays images. 4 is a magneto-optical disk device that can store a large amount of image files; 5 is a hard disk device that stores index information of image files; and 6 is a floppy disk device. In addition,
Image files can also be stored in the hard disk device 5 and floppy disk device 6. Hereinafter, these magneto-optical disk device 4, hard disk device 5, and floppy disk device 6 will be collectively referred to as an external storage device. 7
8 is a keyboard for inputting commands and characters related to various operations, 8 is a pointing device for specifying an arbitrary position on the image displayed on the display device 2, and 9 is a printer for printing out the image.

FIG. 2 is an internal block diagram of the processing device main body l.

21 is a CPU that controls the control unit 1 and peripheral devices of the image processing apparatus via the bus 20;
R that stores programs related to image processing of the PU20
It's OM.

23 is used as a work area for the CPU 20 and a buffer for temporarily storing data input from the scanner 2.
It is AM. Further, 24 is a VRAM that develops images displayed on the display device 3. 25 is a memory management unit (
MMU), these ROM22) RAM23, V
It manages RAM24. 26 is a rask operation unit that controls the rotation, movement, etc. of the displayed image (the image developed in the VRAM 25), and 27 is a logical operation that performs processing such as logical OR of image data, logical product 5, exclusive OR, etc. A circuit 28 is an interface circuit for exchanging data with the scanner 2 and printer 9.

Reference numeral 29 is a companding circuit that compresses an image or expands a compressed image, and compresses the image when it is stored in the external storage device described above, and decompresses the image when it is read from the external storage device.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are diagrams for explaining the operation contents of this embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows an image read from the scanner 2 displayed on a display device 3.
The state shown is shown in . Note that 3a in the figure is a display screen of the display device 3, and 31 is an image read from the scanner 2.

FIG. 4 shows the pointing device 8 on the display screen 3a.
This shows a state in which multiple variable regions are specified using . Note that the area inside the broken line 41 is the variable area, and the area outside is the fixed area.

42 is a cursor for specifying a variable area.

FIG. 5 shows R after specifying the variable region in FIG.
The image data developed in the AM 23 is shown, 51 is fixed data other than the designated variable area, and 52 is designated variable data. In this way, fixed data and variable data are identified and stored in the RAM 23.

FIG. 6 shows an image 61 newly read from the scanner 2.
shows a state expanded in the RAM 23. In addition,
The display is made with the image 31 in FIG. 3 replaced by the image 61.

FIG. 7 shows the image 61 of FIG. 6 expanded with the fixed data 51 of FIG. 5 by exclusive OR. In other words, 7
1 becomes variable data of the image 61.

Fixed data 51 and variable data 52 are separately compressed and stored in the external storage device. In addition, images read from the scanner from then on will only have variable data (for example, the 7th
71) in the figure is sequentially compressed and stored.

Above, in FIGS. 3 to 7, we have explained the state of the image read from the scanner 2 until it is stored in the external storage device. The state up to displaying on the display device 3 will be explained.

First, in FIG. 5, fixed data and variable data stored in an external storage device are read out and expanded into the RAM 23,
It shows the expanded state. Note that 51 is fixed data, and 52 is variable data.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the fixed data 51 is developed into the variable data 52 by logical sum, and the result is displayed on the display device 3. The displayed image data 31 is the same as the image read from the scanner 2.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which new image data (variable data) is decompressed and read from the external storage device and developed in the RAM 23. 71 is expanded variable data.

FIG. 6 shows image data 61 after the 71 variable data and the 51 fixed data are logically ORed.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained.

8 and 9 are flowcharts showing the operation of the above embodiment. FIG. 8 shows the operation up to storing the image read from the scanner 2 in the external storage device, and FIG. It shows the operation up to displaying the image read from the storage device on the display device 3.

First, FIG. 8 will be explained.

In step S1, two files for image expansion are stored in the RAM 23.
Allocate two buffers (buffer A, buffer B).

Next, in step S2, from the scanner 2 to the buffer A
Load the image into. The read image is developed in the VRAM 24 and displayed on the display device 3 in step S3.

A variable data area is specified for the displayed image using a pointing device (step S4). The area other than the area specified in step S4 is considered to be a fixed data area, and in step S5, only fixed data is extracted from buffer A based on the coordinates of the specified area,
Copy to buffer B. Next, fixed data is erased from buffer A based on the coordinates of the designated area (step S6). As a result, variable data of the image read from the scanner 2 exists in the buffer A, and fixed data exists in the buffer B.

Next, compress the data in buffer A and buffer B, respectively,
The compressed data in buffer B is stored as fixed compressed data, and the compressed data in buffer A is stored as first variable compressed data in the external storage device (step S7).

This means that the data for the first sheet has been registered (memorized). Load a new image from scanner 2 into buffer A (
Step S8). The read image is developed in the VRAM 24 and displayed on the display device 3 in step S9.

Next, in step SIO, the fixed data in buffer B created in step S5 is developed by exclusive ORing with the image data in buffer A. The contents of buffer A after expansion are equal to variable data.

This developed data (data in buffer A) is transferred to step Sl.
1, the data is compressed, index information indicating the relationship with the fixed data is created, and stored in an external storage device. For the second and subsequent images, only this expanded data, that is, variable data, is stored, so the capacity in the external storage device is smaller than if the images read from the scanner 2 were compressed and stored as they were.

In step S12, it is determined whether or not to read the next image from the scanner 2. When reading, steps from step S8 are repeated. If not loaded, exit.

In FIG. 8 above, the image is read from the scanner 2,
The operation up to storage in the external storage device has been explained.

Next, referring to FIG. 9, an explanation will be given of the operation of displaying an image read from an external storage device.

First, in step S21, two buffers (buffer A) for image development are created in the RAM 23.

Reserve buffer B). Next, in step S22, the fixed compressed data is read from the external storage device, decompressed, and expanded into buffer B. The first variable compressed data read from the external storage device is decompressed and developed in buffer A (step 523). The reading of both data is performed based on index information indicating the relationship between the two data.

Next, in step S24, the fixed data in buffer B is expanded with the variable data in buffer A by exclusive ORing (or logical sum). As a result, desired image data is created in buffer A. The image data is expanded from buffer A to VRAM 24 and displayed on display device 3 (
Step 525).

In step 326, it is determined whether there is an image to be displayed next, and if there is a next image, step S2
Repeat from 3. If there is only the next read from the external storage device, the process ends.

In the embodiments described above, the fixed data and variable data were separated during storage by specifying a variable region on the display image using the pointing device 8, but in the next embodiment, First, an image containing only fixed data is read from the scanner 2 and stored. Next, images to be stored are read from the scanner 2 in order from the first image, exclusive ORed with the previously read fixed data, and compressed. It is about remembering.

The embodiment will be explained below using FIG. 10.

First, in step S31, two buffers (buffer A and buffer B) for image development are secured in the RAM 23. Next, in step S32, the fixed image is read into buffer B from scanner 2. In step S33, the fixed data in buffer B is compressed and stored in the external storage device as fixed compressed data.

Next, the image to be registered (stored) is read into buffer A from scanner 2 (step 534). In step S35, the read image is
The data is expanded from the buffer A to the VRAM 24 and displayed on the display device 3.

Next, in step 336, the fixed data in buffer B is developed by exclusive ORing with the image data in buffer A. As a result, the data in buffer A becomes variable data of the read image.

This variable data (data in buffer A) is transferred to step S3.
In step 7, the data is compressed and written to an external storage device.

In step 33B, it is determined whether the next image is to be read from the scanner 2, and if it is to be read, step S
Repeat from 34. Also, if it is not loaded, exit.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, when the amount of fixed information is large, or when the number of stored images (number of images) having the same fixed information is large, the total storage capacity is reduced. has the effect of compressing the input image information as it is and making it smaller than the total storage capacity when stored.

Also, when reading images from an external storage device and displaying them, only variable information will be read from the second image onwards.
This has the effect that the total readout time can be shorter than the total readout time when the input image is compressed as it is and the stored image is read out.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the image processing apparatus in the embodiment, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control section, FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams explaining the operation of the embodiment, and FIG.
Figures 6 and 7 are diagrams for explaining the contents developed in the memory in the embodiment, Figure 8 is a flowchart for storing images from the scanner in the embodiment, and Figure 9 is a flowchart for displaying the stored image. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of another embodiment up to storing the image from the scanner. In the figure, 1 is a control unit, 2 is a scanner, 3 is a display device, 4 is a magneto-optical disk device, 5 is a hard disk device, 6 is a floppy disk device, 7 is a keyboard, 8 is a bonding device, 20 is a lotus, 21 is the CPU, 22 is the ROM,
23 is a RAM, 24 is a VRAM, 25 is an MMU, 26 is a logic operation circuit, 27 is a rask operation section, 28 is an interface circuit, and 29 is a companding circuit.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In an image storage device having means for inputting image information and means for compressing and storing the image information inputted by the inputting means, the image information inputted by the inputting means and fixed information such as a format. and a control means for compressing the variable information extracted by the extraction means and storing it in the storage means in association with the fixed information. An image storage device characterized by: (2) In claim (1), means for reading out and decompressing the variable information stored in the storage means, performing a logical operation with the fixed information, and generating original image information for the variable information. An image storage device comprising: