JPH0548876A - Picture processor with grid function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a device accurately arranging the segmented graphic to a desired position when a picture is synthesized, in a picture processor such as a digital copying machine having a layout function. CONSTITUTION:The picture displayed on an input area A of a display device is segmented by a pointing device. Before this picture is displayed on an output area B, a grid control is performed. By performing this, users can accurately perform the positioning of a graphic. By arbitrarily setting the space of the grid by users, the precision degree of the grid can be adjusted by the modes of uses.

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 layout function which allows a user to compose a plurality of images to compose an output image in an arbitrary form.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a digital copying machine having a layout function for image data, when performing layout editing, a graphic sticking operation can be performed in consideration of the layout of the graphic displayed in the image to be combined. .. At this time, if there is no mark when deciding the placement position of the figure,
As shown in FIG. 3, it has not been easy to arrange a figure at a position desired by the user. If the arrangement of the figures is misaligned, the movement of the figures must be repeated many times, which is very inconvenient.

[0003]

Therefore, the first aspect of the present invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing device in which a user can easily align the position of a graphic to be arranged by providing a grid-shaped mark (grid) on the output screen. A second object of the present invention is to provide an image processing device that is easier to use by allowing the user to arbitrarily set the intervals between grid-shaped marks (grids) on the output screen.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in an image processing apparatus, an image reading unit for reading an image, an image writing unit for writing an image, and an image for processing image information. Processor means,
An image display unit having an input area and an output area for displaying the image, a necessary area extracting unit for extracting a necessary area of the image, and an operation control unit having a grid control unit between the input area and the output area. The first object is achieved by including the following. According to a second aspect of the present invention, the image processing apparatus according to the first aspect further enables the user to arbitrarily set the grid interval of the grid control section to achieve the second object.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the image processing apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a digital copying machine 10 which is an embodiment of the present invention.
The digital copying machine 10 includes an image reading unit 12 which is an information input unit and an image writing unit 14. Then, in order to synthesize and layout the images of the plurality of input images into one output image, the image processor 16,
The operation control unit 20 having the image memory 20-A and the image memory 20-B, the display device 22, the pointing device 2
4, an input / output file 26 is provided. The configuration of the operation control unit 20 is shown in FIG. This operation control unit
CPU 30, ROM (Read Only Memory) 32, R
It is composed of an AM (random access memory) 34, an external I / F (external interface) 36, an image memory A20-A, and an image memory B20-B. The grid control 23 is ON / OFF controlled by an external I / F 36. The display device 22 divides the size of the screen into left and right halves, and the left side is the input area 22-A.
The right side is an output area 22-B. The input image is stored in the image memory 20-A and then displayed on the display device 2.
It is displayed in 2.

The user looks at this screen and selects part or all of the image data with the pointing device 24 and specifies the area to be cut out. Then, a layout area for displaying the image data cut out by the pointing device 24 at the designated position of the output area 22-B of the display device 22 is designated. In this embodiment, a mouse is used as the pointing device 24. The area is designated by designating a rectangular area by dragging the mouse. By these area instructions, the image data cut out from the image memory 20-A is expanded to the address corresponding to the layout area instruction of the image memory 20-B. Then, it is displayed in the layout area of the output area 22-B of the display device 22. After that, the image data stored in the image memory 20-B is sent to the image writing means 14, and the image is printed out.

This digital copying machine 10 has a grid control (23) before displaying the cut-out image data in the output area 22-B in order to arrange the top, bottom, left and right of each figure neatly when laying out the image data. )I do. The grid control (23) is to put a grid-like mark on the output screen, which makes it extremely easy to align the figure of the user. As shown in Figure 3, the grid control (23)
If is not used, since it is necessary to align the positions of the figures to be arranged as shown in (b), it depends on the intuition of the user, and it is difficult to arrange them in a very good condition. On the other hand, when the grid control (23) is used, as shown in FIG. 4, a grid display “lattice-shaped mark, FIG. 4 (b)” appears on the output screen and is cut out from the input area image memory 20-A. The data (graphic) moved from the coordinate position obtained by the pointing device 24 to the closest intersection position of the grid.

Here, the image data is output area 22-
It moves along the grid on the screen of B, and does not move to a place other than the grid. By doing so, as shown in FIG. 4B, it is possible to easily and accurately arrange the cut image data so that the top, bottom, left, and right of the image data are aligned with each other.

In some cases, the grid display "ON / OFF" and the grid operation "ON / OFF"
There is also a method to use it together. That is, when the grid display is turned “ON” and the grid function is turned “OFF”, the grid is displayed on the screen of the output area 22-B, but the cut figure can be moved and pasted regardless of the grid display. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the user sets the vertical spacing (dh) and the horizontal spacing (dv) of the grid as necessary during layout. The precision of the grid can be adjusted depending on the mode of use.

Next, the operation of the embodiment thus constructed will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the image data is input to the image memory 20-A and the data is displayed on the display unit 22 (step 1). Next, the image data is selected and cut out by the pointing device 24 (step 2). Then, the pointing coordinates are input by the pointing device 24 (step 3). At this point, turn the grid control ON or OF
Instruct whether to perform F (step 4). When the grid control is turned on (step 4; Y), the designated coordinate is changed to the coordinate of the intersection point of the grid (step 5). Then, the expansion address of the data in the image memory 20-B is determined by the designated coordinates (step 6). Step 4
The same is true when the grid control is turned off in step 4 (step 4; N).

Subsequently, the cut image data is saved in the memory 20-B and displayed on the screen (step 7). Here, it is judged whether or not a series of layout processing is completed (step 8), and if not completed (step 8; N), the processing returns to step 2 and the same processing is repeated again. To end the layout process (step 8; Y)
Outputs the image of the memory 20-B as an image (step 9) and ends the series of operations.

[0012]

According to the image processing apparatus of the first aspect,
When a user lays out an output image in an arbitrary form by synthesizing a plurality of images, the positions of the images can be accurately and smoothly adjusted, and the efficiency of editing work is significantly improved. According to the image processing device of claim 2,
Since the user can arbitrarily adjust the grid interval, the editing work of the output screen can be performed more accurately and efficiently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of an image processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an operation control unit of an embodiment of the image processing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of laying out images without using a grid function in a conventional image processing apparatus.

FIG. 4 shows an example in which images are laid out by using a grid function according to an embodiment of the image processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an embodiment of the image processing apparatus of the present invention, showing an example in which the user can arbitrarily change the size of the grid.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when an image is laid out by an embodiment of the image processing apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 digital copying machine 12 image reading device 14 image writing device 16 image processor 20 operation control unit 20-A, 20-B image memory 22 display device 24 pointing device 26 input / output file

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image reading unit for reading an image, an image writing unit for writing an image, an image processor unit for processing image information, an input area and an output area, and displaying the image. Has a grid function characterized by comprising: an image display means for displaying the necessary area; a necessary area extracting means for extracting a necessary area of the image; and an operation control means having a grid control section between the input area and the output area. Image processing device. 2. The image processing apparatus having a grid function according to claim 1, wherein a grid interval of the grid control section can be arbitrarily set by a user.