JPH0429274B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (A) Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a scanning control method for a scanning device that obtains desired information by scanning a medium, and particularly relates to a scanning control method for a scanning device that obtains desired information by scanning a medium. The present invention relates to a scanning control method suitable for use in a device for obtaining information, such as a newspaper CTS device.

(B) Background of the Technology As a method for displaying and recording information on devices that display and record information, a method of main scanning and sub-scanning on a display and recording medium is frequently used. In addition, various OA
Display and recording devices are also widely used in equipment.
Efforts are being made to research and develop equipment to make it more reliable and cheaper.

In addition, in recent years, newspapers, magazines, etc. have become indispensable as a means of transmitting information, and improving print quality as well as promptness and accuracy have become important issues.

(C) Prior Art and Problems Conventionally, as a method for displaying and recording characters and figures, there has been a method of performing main and sub-scanning on a display recording medium.

For example, applying this method to newspaper CTS equipment,
When creating a negative image, scanning lines are formed that are slightly thicker than the scanning pitch in the main and sub-scanning directions.

In other words, it goes without saying that when the scanning line width is less than the scanning pitch, even if it is equal to the scanning pitch, due to scanning pitch error, pixel formation error, etc., the solid black of the negative image when expressing characters or figures may be Since unscanned portions, that is, white spots, appear as lines during printing, scanning lines are formed that are slightly thicker than the scanning pitch.

However, even with this method, the scanning line is thicker than the scanning pitch, so the line width of the image forming part (black part of the negative image) of the image after scanning is particularly poor when forming a negative image. The line width of the thick, non-image forming portion (the white portion of the negative image) becomes fine. In other words, the non-image forming area is smaller than the scanning pitch and becomes a fine line when printed, making it very difficult to see.

Furthermore, due to the effects of scanning pitch errors and image formation errors as mentioned above, in the worst case, non-image forming areas (white areas of negative images) are not formed.
It is also possible that lines may be missing.

For this reason, the scanning pitch of main and sub-scanning is made finer.
There is a method in which a plurality of scanning lines are always interposed in forming one pixel.

However, in this method, the number of pixels increases at the square ratio of the increase in the number of scans, so it has the disadvantage that scanning takes time and requires a huge storage memory capacity.

Furthermore, when printing photographs in newspapers, magazines, etc., printed matter is required to be clearer than text, graphics, etc.

In order to obtain such clear prints, the scanning lines must, of course, be made fine.

However, the graphics and images on a single page of newspapers, magazines, etc. are small, and although most of the characters are sufficient even if the pixels are a little coarse, they cannot be scanned with fine scanning lines. was. In other words, scanning with fine scanning lines increases the scanning time and increases the memory capacity, which is a major problem.

(D) Object of the Invention The object of the present invention was to provide a scanning control method that can display and record clear images without increasing scanning time or memory capacity. It's about doing.

(E) Structure of the Invention According to the present invention, in a method for recording a desired information image by a combination of pixels by scanning a medium based on image data developed into pixel data, a scanning element group consisting of a plurality of scanning elements slightly larger than 1/n of the pixels, which are successively prepared at a scanning arrangement pitch of 1/n, which is an integer fraction of the arrangement pitch of the pixels; Scanning in which the group is divided into small groups of adjacent scanning elements so that the small groups are also adjacent to each other, the small groups are associated with pixel data for one pixel, and the adjacent small groups are associated with adjacent pixel data. By switching the configuration of the number of scanning elements and the number of groups of a small group associated with one pixel of image data by the scanning element switching means in accordance with the resolution designation of the image data; This is achieved by switching the total number of elements in the group to a common multiple of the number of elements constituting the plurality of small groups used.

(F) Embodiments of the invention Examples of the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a scanning device for explaining a scanning control method according to the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is an image forming medium on which desired information is recorded, 3 is a scanning element group that forms a dot pattern of desired information on the image forming medium 1 through a lens 2, and 4 is a drive for the scanning element group 3. This is a control section that performs control.

Further, FIG. 2 shows a detailed diagram of the control section.

In the figure, 3 is a scanning element group consisting of six scanning elements, and 5 is a set of two scanning elements that are driven by a switching signal from a selection control circuit 10, which will be described later, when driving the scanning element group 3. , 3 pieces 1
scanning element switching means for switching to either one of the sets; 6;
For example, it stores the placement positions of characters, figures, and images in the editing data of image information configured as shown in FIG. 3, and outputs monitor signals (A for letters, figures, An address monitor that outputs (indicated by B in the case of an image),
7 is a desired figure corresponding to the address stored in the address monitor 6, a figure in which an image dot pattern is stored, an image memory; 8 is a desired character dot pattern corresponding to the address stored in the address monitor 6; A character memory 9 stores data, a line buffer 9 temporarily stores dot pattern data from the figure, image memory 7, and character memory 8; This is a selection control circuit that outputs a selection signal for selecting the memory 8 and further outputs a switching signal (indicated by C for characters and D for figures and images) to the scanning element switching means 5.

In the configuration as described above, the operation of the embodiment according to the present invention will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming medium 1 is rotated in the direction of an arrow (indicated by the symbol Form a dot pattern.

Here, a case will be described in which the configuration of a desired information image formed on the image forming medium 1 is as shown in FIG. 3.

The address monitor 6 sequentially reads out the edited data of the image information as shown in FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrow from the upper left end. The monitor signal output by the address monitor 6 at this time is the signal A, and the monitor signal A is input to the selection control circuit 10. The selection control circuit 10 to which the monitor signal A is input selects the character memory 8, sequentially reads out data in the character memory 8 corresponding to the address of the address monitor 6, and inputs the data to the line buffer 9. Further, the selection control circuit 10 selects the character memory 8 and outputs a switching signal C to the scanning element switching means 5.

Scanning element switching means 5 to which switching signal C is input
switches so that the scanning elements are driven in groups of three. Dot pattern data from the character memory 8 is added to this set of three scanning elements 3 by a line buffer 9, and character dot pattern data is sequentially formed on the image forming medium 1.

At the same time, the selection control circuit 10 is reading the address monitor 6 and detects whether there is a change in the monitor signal.

Here, when the monitor signal from the address monitor 6 changes to signal B, the selection control circuit 10 selects the graphic/image memory 7 corresponding to the address of the address monitor 6.
The data is read out and input to the line buffer 9.

Further, the selection control circuit 10 selects the figure/image memory 7 and switches the dot pattern data to the scanning element switching means 5 in synchronization with the timing at which the figure/image memory 7 input to the line buffer 9 is applied to the scanning element. Outputs signal D.

Scanning element switching means 5 to which switching signal D is input
The scanning elements are switched so that a set of two scanning elements forms one scanning line.

Graphic dot pattern data from the image memory 7 is added to the pair of scanning element groups 3 by a line buffer 9 to form graphic dot pattern data on the image forming medium 1.

This type of dot pattern data is transferred to the image forming medium 1.
When the monitor signal from the address monitor 6 changes to signal A, the width of the sequential scanning line can be varied by performing the switching operation described above.

Moreover, the scanning speed in the main scanning direction at this time is set by a scanning speed switching means (not shown) so that the scanning element is
The scanning speed is changed to 1.5 times the scanning speed when one scanning line is formed by one set of individual particles.

As explained above, according to this embodiment, depending on the type of information, a pair of scanning elements or a set of two scanning elements or
By switching to drive a set of three, the scanning time and memory capacity can be kept to a minimum.

Also, one scanning line can be made up of two or three scanning elements.
By scanning individually, even if a scanning line is formed that is slightly thicker than the scanning pitch, the overlapping width will be minute, and it is possible to obtain good printed matter without white spots or the like.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic configuration diagram of another embodiment of the scanning control method according to the present invention.

In the figure, 11 has a plurality of line buffers 9 and outputs a detection signal E when black, white, or black dots are detected in the sub-scanning direction, and 10' is a selection control circuit 10. In addition to the function, when the signal E from the dot pattern recognition control section 11 is input, the selection control circuit 5' has the function of outputting the selection signal D'.When the selection signal D' is input, the selection control circuit 5' This is a scanning element switching means for switching one set of scanning elements of the scanning elements into a set of two scanning elements.

In this embodiment, it goes without saying that the number of scanning elements is changed according to the type of information in the previous embodiment, and when the dots are formed in the order of black, white, and black in the sub-scanning direction, the white part is missing. It is something that can be controlled.

In other words, in the dot pattern recognition control section 11, a plurality of line buffers 9 (in FIG.
(scanning line), the dots in the sub-scanning direction are black,
Detects whether it is white or black.

If the dot pattern recognition control section 11 detects black, white, or black dots in the sub-scanning direction, it outputs a detection signal E.

The selection control circuit 10' to which the detection signal E is inputted outputs the selection signal in accordance with the timing of forming a dot in the black part that comes before the white dot in the sub-scanning direction.
Output D′.

Scanning element switching means 5 to which selection signal D' is input
is scanned in accordance with the scanning signal for the black portion from the switching dot pattern recognition control section 11 so that only the dots in the black portion are driven in pairs.

By performing the above-described operation, even when the dots in the sub-scanning direction are black, white, and black, it is possible to prevent the lines in the white portion from being missing.

Therefore, good printed matter can be obtained.

In this example, six scanning elements are used,
Although the case where scanning is switched using a set of two scanning elements or a set of three scanning elements has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. It goes without saying that the present invention also includes cases where

In the embodiment, the total number of scanning element groups is 6 and the number of sets of scanning elements assigned to one pixel is 2 and 3. However, in this way, the total number can be divided by any of the number of elements in one set. It may be natural to have a common multiple, but it is extremely desirable from the point of view of scanning address management.

(G) Effects of the Invention As explained above, according to the present invention, since the number of units of scanning elements can be changed according to the type of information, the scanning time and memory capacity can be kept to a minimum, and the You can get printed matter.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 is a diagram for explaining the scanning control method according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a detailed diagram of the control section shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a desired information image stored in the address monitor. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of another embodiment of the scanning control method according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is an image forming medium, 2 is a lens, and 3
is a scanning element group, 4 is a control unit, 5 and 5' are scanning element switching means, 6 is an address monitor, 7 is a graphic and image memory, 8 is a character memory, 9 is a line buffer, 10 and 10' are selection control circuits, 11 is a dot pattern recognition control section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method for recording a desired information image by a combination of pixels by scanning a medium based on pixel data developed into pixel data, wherein a desired information image is recorded by a combination of pixels; A scanning element group consisting of a plurality of scanning elements slightly larger than 1/n of the above-mentioned pixel, which are consecutively prepared at a certain 1/n scanning arrangement pitch, and a small group of adjacent scanning elements. The image data is divided into groups such that the small groups are adjacent to each other, each small group is associated with one pixel worth of pixel data, and each adjacent small group is associated with adjacent pixel data. 1. A scanning control method, characterized in that the configuration of the number of scanning elements and the number of groups of a small group associated with one pixel of image data is switched by the scanning element switching means in response to resolution designation. 2. The scanning control method according to claim 1, wherein the total number of elements in the scanning element group is a common multiple of the number of constituent elements of a plurality of types of small groups that are switched and used.