JPS63106873A - Image input system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent memory capacity from being increased and to improve operability, by selecting only a picture data within a designated range. CONSTITUTION:When it is difficult to decide a required range only by the picture data before scanner input, a system to display images scanner-inputted on a display screen 5, and to designate the required range out of the above images by trial and error is compelled to be adopted. In such a case, the outline (upper half, or quarter in lower right) of a reading range is designated before the scanner input, and control so as not to read the data other than the one in the designated range by a scanner 3, is performed by a controller 2. In such a way, it is possible to reduce a memory capacity required for a computer. Also, read picture data within an approximate range is displayed on the display 5 out of them, and the operability can be improved by a system by which a detailed range is decided in a man-machine interface way.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention is applicable to office automation (OA), etc.
Relates to workstations that can be used, especially when image data is input into the workstation.

The present invention relates to an image input method suitable for specifying a range of image data to be input.

[Conventional technology]

When image data is read with a scanner or the like and imported into a computer as digital data, the input range (image size) of the scanner is generally different from the range targeted for computer processing. Therefore, it is necessary to select and cut out the range to be processed from the readable range of the scanner. Conventionally, there are two methods for carrying out this cutting.

The first method is to once import the entire range that can be read by a scanner into a computer, and then cut out the processing target range by computer processing. According to this method, even if the processing target range is small, a storage device is required to hold all the image data within the readable range of the scanner, which is not economical.

On the other hand, the second method is to selectively read only a necessary range when reading from a scanner.

To select the necessary range, there is a method in which a mark indicating the necessary range is written on the document and the scanner identifies the mark, and a method in which the necessary range is specified in advance by length, number of rasters, etc. As a method for identifying the former mark, the best known method is to paint the left edge of the document black and skip the portion to the right, similar to the skip transmission function of a facsimile. This method has the disadvantage that additional notes must be added to the document.Furthermore, in order to realize processing, processing, and selection of the main scanning direction instead of selecting only the sub-scanning direction as in the case of the facsimile mentioned above, it is necessary to indicate the range to the scanner. The method of specifying the required range numerically has the advantage of allowing you to specify the specified range precisely, but
For example, as shown in Nikkei Byte July 1985 issue, pages 146 and 147, it must be specified in units of 1/240 inch. Since this is beyond human sense, it is not practical to specify such a numerical value.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention 3] As mentioned above, in the conventional method, when inputting image data from a scanner, the required memory capacity is enormous, or in order to avoid an increase in memory capacity, it is necessary to The disadvantage is that the performance is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image input method that eliminates the above drawbacks, simplifies designation of an image input range from a scanner, prevents an increase in memory capacity, and has good operability.

[Means for solving problems]

One image data? Enter from Sugyana and text it,
When editing a document together with graphics and the like, in order to accurately determine the necessary range of image data, it is necessary to consider the positional relationship, size relationship, etc. with surrounding text data and graphic data. That is, it is often difficult to determine the necessary range using only image data before being input to the scanner. In such cases, display the image input by the scanner on the display screen,
There is no choice but to use a method of specifying the necessary range from among them through trial and error. On the other hand, even in such a case, it is not necessary to read all the data in the scanner's readable range, and it is possible to determine the approximate position and size in advance, thereby preventing an increase in the required memory. can.

[Effect]

In the present invention, the above property is utilized to specify an outline of the reading range (upper half, lower right quarter, etc.) before inputting it to the scanner.
Controls the scanner so that it does not read data outside the specified range. This allows the amount of memory required for the computer to be reduced.

Improved operability is achieved by displaying the image data of the general range read on the display and determining the detailed range from that data in a man-machine manner.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained in detail below using examples.

FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of this embodiment. Reference numeral 1 denotes a central processing unit, which is a part that controls the operation of this embodiment. 2 is
This is a scanner control device that controls the operation of the scanner and also controls the on/off of data reading of the scanner according to the general reading position designation. 3 is a scanner for reading image data; 4 is a memory for storing data read by the scanner 3; 5 is a display for displaying the read image data; a rough reading position designation; and a precise reading position determined by looking at the display. It is a keyboard input device for specifying the required range. Instead of a keyboard, this input device may be a mouse, a tablet, or a position specifying device such as a dial, or it may be a combination of a keyboard and these position specifying devices.

Next, a procedure for inputting an image using each of the above devices will be explained. First of all, a command indicating that an image is to be input from the scanner is sent to the central processing unit 1 using the keyboard 5 . Continuing, using the same keyboard 5,
Specify the approximate reading range. The specification method is to associate keys on the keyboard with image positions.

be. That is, the image data is divided into nine areas of 3×3, and the key 7 is placed in the upper left, and the key 5 is placed in the center. In addition, if the entire image is required, please use the steps 1 to 1 above.
In addition to key 9, key 0 is used. Furthermore, in order to enable simultaneous specification of a plurality of ranges, a 1-.'' key is used as a key to indicate the end of range specification.

Based on the above, the central processing unit that received the
First, it converts this into a position designation in pixel and raster units, and transmits the corresponding signal to the scanner control device 2. The scanner control device 2 receives the signal and controls the scanner 3.
Start. All data is read from the scanner 3 and sent to the scanner control device 2. The scanner control device 2 selects only the data corresponding to the specified range from the central processing device 1 and transmits it to the memory 4 via the central processing device 1.

This completes the input of image data at the approximately designated position.

Subsequently, the image data stored in the memory 4 is displayed on the display 5 via the central processing unit 1. On this occasion,
Depending on the display size on the display 5, the central processing unit 1 enlarges or reduces the image size. The operator looks at the image data displayed on the display 1/5 and specifies the necessary range precisely. The required range is a rectangle, Ia! In this case, a method such as specifying two diagonal points of a rectangle using a cursor key on a keyboard or a pointing device such as a mouse is used. keyboard display 5
The required range designation is transmitted from the central processing unit 1 as a screen position on the display. Upon receiving this, the central processing unit 1 converts the five screen positions into a string of image addresses on the memory 4. This conversion is the same as the so-called window/viewboard conversion. Generally, image data within the range specified by the above method exists in discontinuous areas on the memory 4, so the central processing unit 1
Image data is selectively moved within the memory 4 so that only the necessary range of image data is stored in a continuous area.

FIG. 3 shows the processing flow of the central processing unit to carry out the above procedure.

FIG. 4 shows a block configuration of a circuit in which the scanner control device 2 selects only image data in a specified range. In the same figure, raster end point register 401° raster start point register 4
021 Raster total number of the entire image register 4032 Raster total length (unit: pixel) of the entire image register 404. Vixel start point register 405. Each of the pixel end point registers 406 is initially set by the central processing unit 1.

A pixel counter 408 receives a pixel count signal synchronized with the operation of reading one pixel by the scanner, and counts down by ]. The value obtained by subtracting this counter value from the total raster length and the it value of the pixel start point register 405
s and the value of the pixel end point register 406,
Comparators 411 and 412 determine (7, baud 1-4 only if the read pixel is within the specified range), and open 6.

Similarly, when the pixel counter 408 is at zero, the raster counter 407 counts (7, opens the gate 415 only when the read raster is within the specified range, and also baud) 415 and 416 to count the read cibixels. However, only when both the pixel value and the rask value are within the specified range, the game screen 418 is opened and the image data from the scanner 3 is sent to the central processing unit 1.

Note that such a selection circuit can also be built into the main body of the scanner 3.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, detailed position designation can be easily handled while looking at the display screen without increasing the memory capacity required when reading one image data from the vertical position. Rough position designation during scanner input can be done simply by adding a circuit.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a diagram of a device configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the correspondence between the positions of the numeric keypad and image data when the outline of the area is specified during scanner input, and Fig. 3 is a diagram of the central processing according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a circuit in which the scanner control device selects image data within a specified range. 1... Central processing unit, 2... Scanner control device, 3
...Scanner, 4.Memory, 5.Keyboard.
De dice v1 eye rod 2 figure ○

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an image input method comprising an image input device, a storage device for storing input image data, a device for specifying the range of image data to be input in general and detail, and a device for displaying the input image data. An image input method characterized by comprising means for selecting only image data within a specified range.