JPH05344352A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To realize an image processing device that is inexpensive, compact, and capable of progressive buildup. [Composition] As a communication procedure, at the time of encoding / transmission of a transmission image, encoding / transmission is performed in order from an image with a fine resolution to an image with a coarse resolution, and on the receiving side, an image with a coarse resolution is transmitted from an image with a fine resolution. After all the images have been accumulated, they are encoded and recorded in the order of coarse resolution to fine resolution.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus having a page memory for images and performing progressive buildup.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional facsimile apparatus as an image processing apparatus does not have so-called progressive build-up, but is configured to print out an image (hard copy) only by sequential build-up. The progressive build-up is intended to improve the image quality by displaying a rough but whole image at an early stage of transmission and then adding additional information as necessary. Further, the sequential buildup is a method of scanning the paper surface from left to right and from top to bottom, and encoding in that order. Further, even if a facsimile apparatus having progressive build-up appears on the market in the future, the order of transmitting images is predicted to be from a coarse resolution image to a fine resolution image. FIG. 16 shows a communication procedure in a conventional facsimile apparatus. The control procedure on the transmitting side is shown in the flowchart of FIG. 17, and the control procedure on the receiving side is shown in the flowchart of FIG.

That is, in the conventional facsimile apparatus,
In the "PIX transmission" part, images are transmitted in order from a coarse layer image to a fine layer image, and step S121 in FIG.
Then, the reading process by CCD is performed, and step S
At 122, an image with a resolution of 400 dpi is stored in the image encoding buffer area. And step S123-
In S127, resolution conversion is performed in order from the high resolution image to the low resolution image. In addition, step S12 in FIG.
In 8 to S133, the low-resolution image and the high-resolution image are coded by the LSI in this order, modulated by the modem, and transmitted. On the other hand, the data transmitted via the line is decoded by the LSI according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 18, and the obtained data is recorded by the recording head.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional facsimile apparatus, in order to obtain the coarse resolution image to be transmitted first, the fine resolution images are sequentially modulated and the image information in the middle is stored. And then
Since it is arranged to transmit a fine resolution image when it comes to the transmission order, there is a drawback that the facsimile apparatus on the transmission side has a large memory and a high price. Also,
When concentrating facsimile reception, a high-speed, large-capacity facsimile device is generally required on the receiving side, and an inexpensive, low-speed, small-capacity facsimile device is often used on the transmitting side. Although a small-sized and inexpensive device on the transmission side is required, there is a problem that the current device does not meet the requirements. The purpose of the present invention is to
An object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized and low-priced image processing device capable of progressive buildup.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a means for encoding a transmission image in order from a high resolution image to a low resolution image, and a means for encoding the encoded image with a high resolution. And a means for transmitting in order from the low resolution image. Preferably, before the image transmission, a means for selecting either transmission from the high resolution image to the low resolution image or transmission from the low resolution image to the high resolution image is further provided. ..

[0006]

With the above construction, the facsimile apparatus functions as an inexpensive, small-sized apparatus capable of progressive build-up.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a facsimile apparatus as an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a CPU (main control unit) 2 is connected to the ROM 3 and the RAM 4 by a bus 20 and controls the operation of the entire apparatus according to a program stored in the ROM 1. The RAM 4 is used as a work area for the CPU 2. The CPU 2 has a crystal oscillator 1 for generating its operation clock. The reading unit for reading the original image in this apparatus is mainly the CCD line sensor 11 and the reading motor 23.
Composed of. The image recording section is composed of a recording head (thermal head) 12 and a recording motor 24, and is used for recording a received image or a copy image. The modem 14 modulates / demodulates image data and control procedure data, and is connected to the line 33 via the NCU 15. The NCU 15 holds the loop current of the line 33 and exchanges the line with the telephone 34. Also,
Hierarchical encoding / decoding LSI 9 (hereinafter referred to as LSI)
Indicates a process described later (“C: encoding” or “D: shown in FIG. 2”).
Process of "decryption").

FIG. 2 shows a JBIG (Joint Bi-level Image).
It is a figure which shows the concept of the hierarchical encoding process used as the object of standardization in (Group). Here, the resolution of the original image is 4
Assuming that the resolution is about 00 dpi or more, the transmitting side sequentially creates the necessary number of layers of low-resolution images whose resolution is halved both horizontally and vertically. In the standardized model shown in FIG. 2, the resolution of the original image is 400 dpi, the number of layers is 6, the minimum resolution is 12.5 dpi, and 12.5 dpi and 25 dpi.
The image having the resolution of i is displayed in a size of 3/16 × 3/16 of the original image, and is assumed to be used as an icon.

On the transmitting side, the lowest resolution image is encoded and transmitted. Next, the information necessary for increasing the resolution is sequentially encoded. In addition, the receiving side decodes and reproduces the image with the lowest resolution, and progressively displays it by displaying the images with the resolutions improved, and finally, the original image can be decoded and reproduced without deterioration. Be done. However, it is also possible to terminate the image with an intermediate resolution if necessary. Next, the control of the facsimile apparatus according to this embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an entire communication procedure of the facsimile apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a detailed procedure of a "PIX transmission" portion for transmitting image information. As shown in FIG. 4, in this apparatus, the “PIX transmission” portion is transmitted in a hierarchical manner, that is, in the order of images from a fine layer to a coarse layer. In addition,
A memory map corresponding to FIG. 4 is shown in FIGS. As a control procedure corresponding to the communication procedure shown in FIG. 4, control on the transmitting side is shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7, and control on the receiving side is shown in the flowchart of FIG. Note that FIG. 4, FIG. 7, and FIG.
In, the number indicated by # corresponds to the buffer in the memory map of FIGS. 5 and 6.

In the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, in step S21, the CPU 2 drives the reading motor 23 to convey the original, and the CCD 11 performs the reading process via the gate array 7. In step S22, the CPU 2 stores 400 dpi in the image coding buffer area in the RAM 4.
The image of the resolution is accumulated, and in the subsequent step S23, RA
200dp after resolution conversion of data in M4 by LSI9
Obtain an image of resolution i and store it. Step S2
In 4, the CPU 2 uses 400 dpi and 2 in the RAM 4
The data of 00 dpi is encoded by the LSI 9, the obtained image of the resolution of 400-200 dpi in the transmission buffer is modulated by the MODEM 14, and then the line 33 is transmitted via the NCU 15.
Send via. In step S25, the CPU 2 causes R
The resolution of 200 dpi data in the AM4 is converted by the LSI 9 to obtain an image having a resolution of 100 dpi, and the image is stored. Then, in step S26, 200
An image having a resolution of 200 to 100 dpi in a transmission buffer obtained by encoding the data of dpi and 100 dpi by the LSI 9 is modulated by the modem 14 and transmitted via the line 33 via the NCU 15. In the next step S27, the CP
The U2 performs resolution conversion of the data in the RAM4 by the LSI9 to obtain an image with a resolution of 50 and stores it. And
In step S28, 100 dpi and 50 in RAM4
The modem 14 displays an image with a resolution of 100-50 dpi in the transmission buffer obtained by encoding the data of the dpi with the LSI 9.
And is transmitted via the line 33 via the NCU 15.

In step S29, the resolution of the data in the RAM 4 is converted by the LSI 9 to obtain an image having a resolution of 25 dpi and the image is stored. In step S30, the RAM 4 is stored.
The image of the resolution of 50-25 dpi in the transmission buffer obtained by encoding the data of 50 dpi and 25 dpi in the inside by the LSI 9 is modulated by the modem 14 and then transmitted through the line 33 through the NCU 15. Furthermore, in step S31,
The CPU 2 performs resolution conversion of the data in the RAM 4 by the LSI 9 to obtain and store an image having a resolution of 12.5 dpi, and in step S32, 25 dpi and 12.5 dpi in the RAM 4 are stored.
An image having a resolution of 25-12.5 in the transmission buffer obtained by encoding the data of dpi with the LSI 9 is modulated by the modem 4 and transmitted via the line 33 through the NCU 15. Then, in step S33, the CPU 2 sets 1 in the RAM 4
An image with a resolution of 2.5 dpi is transferred to the transmission buffer in the RAM 4, the image with a resolution of 12.5 dpi in the transmission buffer is modulated by the modem 14, and the image is transmitted via the line 33 via the NCU 15. FIG. 8 to FIG. 12 are diagrams showing stepwise examples of hierarchical encoding in the present embodiment,
Each is step S2 of the flowchart shown in FIG.
2 to S26. In addition, in FIGS.
The numbers indicate the resolution, C indicates the encoding, and R indicates the resolution.

That is, FIG. 8 shows a process in which the CPU 2 stores an image having a resolution of 400 dpi in the image encoding buffer area in the RAM 4, and FIG. 9 shows that the data in the RAM 4 is resolution-converted by the LSI 9 to obtain a resolution of 200 dpi. It shows how the image of is obtained. Further, FIG. 10 shows a RAM
The data of 400 dpi and 200 dpi in 4 are LSI
9-coded, 400-200 dpi in the transmit buffer
A mode in which an image having a resolution of 1 is modulated by the MODEM 14 and then transmitted via the line 33 is shown. FIG. 11 shows 20 in the RAM4.
The resolution of 0 dpi data is converted by the LSI 9 to 100 d.
FIG. 12 shows a process of obtaining an image with a pi resolution.
Encodes the data of 200 dpi and 100 dpi in the RAM 4 with the LSI 9 and outputs 200-
It shows a state in which an image having a resolution of 100 dpi is modulated by the modem 14 and then transmitted via the line 33. Next, control on the receiving side will be described. In the flowchart of FIG. 13, the CPU 2 stores the received 400-200 dpi data in the image buffer in the RAM 4 in step S40, and receives the received 200-200 dpi data in step S41.
The data of 100 dpi is accumulated in the image buffer in the RAM 4. Then, in step S42, the received 100
The data of -500 dpi is stored in the image buffer in the RAM 4, and in the next step S43, the received 50-25
The data of dpi is stored in the image buffer in the RAM 4.

Similarly, in step S44, the received 2
5-12.5 dpi data is stored in the image buffer in the RAM 4, and in step S45, the received 12.5d
The data of pi is stored in the image buffer in the RAM 4.
Further, in step S46, the received 25-12.5d
The 25 dpi data obtained by decoding the pi data and the 12.5 dpi data by the LSI 9 is accumulated in the image buffer in the RAM 4, and in step S47, the received 50-
The data of 25 dpi and the data of 50 dpi obtained by decoding the data of 25 dpi by the LSI 9 are accumulated in the image buffer in the RAM 4. Further, in step S48, 100 dpi data obtained by decoding the received 100-50 dpi data and 50 dpi data by the LSI 9 is stored in the image buffer in the RAM 4. Further, in step S49, the received 200-100 dpi data and 100 dpi data are decoded by the LSI 9 to obtain 20.
The data of 0 dpi is stored in the image buffer in the RAM 4, and in the next step S50, the received 400-200
The data of 400 dpi obtained by decoding the data of dpi and the data of 200 dpi by the LSI 9 are accumulated in the image buffer in the RAM 4.

Then, in step S51, the CPU 2
Drives the recording motor 24 to convey the recording paper, and the recording head 12 records the 400-dpi data obtained in step S50. Next, a control procedure for determining the image communication mode in the facsimile apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. The flowchart shown in FIG. 14 shows a control procedure when the image communication mode is determined in this embodiment, and FIG. 15 shows a header (layer) included in a part of NSF in the NSF DIS signal transmitted by the facsimile apparatus on the receiving side. It is a figure which shows the header of dynamic encoding. In the control shown in the flowchart of FIG. 14, parameters such as a transmission mode are initialized in step S61, and it is determined in step S62 whether or not the receiving side facsimile apparatus can perform hierarchical coded reception. Specifically, it is determined whether the SEQ of the header in the NSF on the receiving side that is received and stored in advance is 0 or 1.

If the determination result in step S62 is OK, the process proceeds to step S63, in which the transmitting side determines whether or not hierarchical coded transmission can be executed. If the determination in step S63 is OK, step S64
The process proceeds to step S4 and determines whether the receiving side is capable of "communication in order from images with finer resolution" depending on whether the HITOLO (high to low) signal of the header in the NSF on the receiving side is 0 or 1. Here, if HITOLO = 1,
In step S65, the transmission side determines whether or not the "method of communicating in order from images of fine resolution" is possible. If possible, the process proceeds to step S68, and the header shown in FIG.
Set Q = 0 and HITOLO = 1, and step S71
Go to In this step S71, the image communication shown in FIG. 7 by the above-mentioned communication method is performed.

On the other hand, in step S65, when the transmitting side determines that the "method of sequentially communicating from the image of fine resolution" is impossible, for example, when the user of the apparatus prohibits the transmission mode, The process proceeds to step S67, and the header shown in FIG. 15 is set to SEQ = 0 and HITOLO = 0. Then, in subsequent step S70, image communication is performed by the conventional communication method (see FIG. 17). If it is determined in step S64 that the transmission side cannot use the “method of sequentially communicating from an image with a fine resolution”,
The processing of steps S67 and S70 is executed. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S63 is NG, the transmitting side determines that the "method of communicating in order from an image with a fine resolution" is not possible, or in step S62 the receiving side hit
If O = 0 and the transmitting side determines that the “method of communicating in order from an image with a fine resolution” is not possible, step S
SEQ = 1 is set in 66, and in subsequent step S68, image transmission is performed by sequential buildup.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
When encoding / transmitting a transmission image, encoding / transmission is performed in order from an image with a fine resolution to an image with a coarse resolution, and the receiving side accumulates all images from the image with a fine resolution to the image with a coarse resolution and then the coarse resolution. By encoding and recording the images in the order from the image with the fine resolution to the image, it is possible to realize an inexpensive small-sized progressive build-up facsimile apparatus. The present invention may be applied to a system including a plurality of devices or an apparatus including a single device.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention,
An inexpensive and small progressive build-up is possible by encoding / transmitting transmitted images in the order of fine resolution to coarse resolution, and by encoding and recording in the order of coarse resolution to fine resolution. There is an effect that an image processing device can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a concept of a hierarchical encoding process which is a standardization target in JBIG,

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an entire communication procedure of the facsimile apparatus according to the embodiment,

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a detailed procedure of a “PIX transmission” portion for transmitting image information,

FIG. 5 is a memory map corresponding to PIX transmission,

FIG. 6 is a memory map corresponding to PIX transmission,

7 is a flowchart showing a control procedure on the transmission side corresponding to the communication procedure shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing, in stages, an example of hierarchical encoding in the embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing, step by step, an example of hierarchical encoding in the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing stepwise an example of hierarchical encoding in the embodiment,

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of layered coding stepwise in the embodiment,

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing, step by step, an example of hierarchical coding in the embodiment.

13 is a flowchart showing a control procedure on the receiving side corresponding to the communication procedure shown in FIG.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a control procedure when determining an image communication mode in the embodiment.

FIG. 15 is an NSF sent by a facsimile machine on the receiving side.
The figure which shows the header of hierarchical encoding contained in a part of NSF in a DIS signal,

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a communication procedure in a conventional facsimile device;

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a communication procedure on the transmitting side in a conventional facsimile device;

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a receiving side communication procedure in a conventional facsimile apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Crystal Oscillator 2 CPU 3 ROM 4 RAM 5, 7, 10, 18 Gate Array 9 Hierarchical Encoding / Decoding LSI 14 Modem 15 NCU 16 Sensor 19 Speaker 21 Speaker Driving Section 22 Motor Driving Section 23 Reading Motor 24 Recording Motor 33 Line 34 telephone

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A means for encoding a transmission image in order from a high resolution image to a low resolution image, and means for transmitting the encoded image in order from a high resolution image to a low resolution image. An image processing device characterized by. 2. Prior to image transmission, either high-resolution image to low-resolution image is transmitted in order, or low-resolution image to high-resolution image is transmitted in order. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means.