JPH0440162A - Picture output device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To output a sharpened picture to a color printer or the like even without an arithmetic processing at a host computer by sharpening a picture data, which is read out from a picture memory, at real time by an edge emphasis circuit. CONSTITUTION:Under the control of a CPU circuit part 16, the picture data is written from the host computer through a host I/F part 15 to the picture memory of a picture memory part 11. When the picture data for one picture is completely written into the picture memory, next, the data is started being transferred to the printer. The picture data read out from the picture memory part 11 according to a memory address to be generated from a read address counter 12 is calculated by an edge processing part 13 and transferred through a printer I/F part 14 to the printer while generating the sharpened picture data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application 1] The present invention relates to an image output device such as a color printer or a color hard copy.

[Prior Art] Generally, as a method of sharpening an image, a method of performing matrix calculation using a Laplacian filter shown in FIG. 2 is known. If the four pixels in the vicinity of the pixel of interest ゛Z° are A, B, C, and D, then the sharpened data Z'
is given by equation (1). n takes a value from 0 to 1, and the sharpness can be changed.

Z'=Z+n(Z-1/4(A+B+C+D)l ・
[) formula Conventionally, in order to output sharpened image data to a color printer, etc., the host computer calculated and sharpened the image data, transferred it to the -H image memory device, and output it to the color printer. .

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional method, arithmetic processing is performed at the host convenience store, so there was a problem that the load on the host computer was large and the processing time was long.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an image output device that outputs images based on image data from a host computer. It is equipped with a memory and an edge enhancement circuit for processing the image data to sharpen the image.

[Effect]

By sharpening the image data read from the image memory in real time using an edge enhancement circuit,
A sharpened image can be output to a color printer or the like without any arithmetic processing by the host computer.

[Examples] Examples of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment for preferably carrying out the present invention.
The image memory section 11 is an image memory for storing image data and a control circuit for the image memory. The read address counter 12 is a memory address generation circuit for reading data from the image memory. The edge processing unit 13
This circuit performs edge enhancement processing by calculating image data read from the image memory section 11. Printer I/F section 14
is a control circuit for outputting image data to the printer. The host I/F section 15 is a control circuit for writing image data from the host computer into the image memory. The CPU circuit section 16 controls the entire sequence of the device. The operation of this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG. Image data from the host computer is sent to host I.
The data is written into the image memory of the image memory section 11 via the /F section 15 under the control of the CPU circuit section 16. Once one screen worth of image data has been written to the image memory, data transfer to the printer begins. The image data read from the image memory unit 11 according to the memory address generated by the read address counter 12 is processed in the edge processing unit 13, and sent to the printer via the printer I/F unit 14 while generating sharpened image data. will be forwarded to. A line memory 21, an example of an edge processing circuit shown in FIG. 3, is a memory for storing image data of the previous line. The line memory 22 is a memory for storing image data of the previous line. Address counter 23 generates the address of line memory 21,22. Latch 24-3
0 latches the data read out from the line memories 21, 22 and the image memory into the matrix of the Laplacian filter shown in FIG. The calculation unit 31 has latches 25 to 30
Z' in equation (1) is calculated from the data latched in . The calculation unit 31 can perform high-speed calculations by using adders and subtracters, and the data read from the image memory can be sharpened in real time and transferred to the printer.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, there is no need for the host computer to perform calculations for sharpening the image data, so the burden on the host computer can be reduced, and the image data can be transferred to the image memory. The sharpened image can be output to a color printer, etc.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. Second
The figure is an explanatory diagram of a Laplacian filter. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the edge processing circuit. l 1 ・ ・ ・ l 2 ・ ・ ・ 13 ・ ・ ・ 14 ・ ・ ・ l 5 ・ ・ 16 ・ ・ ・ 21, 22 23 ・ ・ ・ 24 to 30 3 l ・ ・ ・ ・ Image memory section/read address counter・Edge processing section ・Printer I/F section ・Host I/F section ・CPU circuit section ・Line memory ・Address counter ・Latch ・Arithmetic section Applicant: Seiko Electronics Industries, Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An image output device that outputs an image based on image data from a host computer includes a memory that stores the image data from the host computer, and an edge that processes the image data to sharpen the image and output it. An image output device comprising an emphasis circuit and an output device that outputs an image based on the data.