Image editing with block selection

• US 20020081040A1
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Uchida, Yoshiki
• Granted Patent: US 6,704,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/311
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

Composing image data representing an original image in an image processing device, the image processing device having an input device and a display device, including performing a block selection process on the image data to identify at least one image block and to determine a set of block attribute data for each identified image block, displaying a composite image on the display device, the composite image comprised of each identified image block superimposed on the original image, receiving a block designation command from the input device, the block designation command designating one of the identified image blocks as a designated image block, and displaying, in response to the block designation command, a function command list for the designated image block, the function command list containing a plurality of function commands based on the set of block attribute data for the designated image block.

Claims

1. A method for composing image data representing an original image in an image processing device, the image processing device having an input device and a display device, said method comprising:

performing a block selection process on the image data to identify at least one image block and to determine a set of block attribute data for each identified image block;

displaying a composite image on the display device, the composite image comprised of each identified image block superimposed on the original image;

receiving a block designation command from the input device, the block designation command designating one of the identified image blocks as a designated image block; and

displaying, in response to the block designation command, a function command list for the designated image block, the function command list containing a plurality of function commands based on the set of block attribute data for the designated image block.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving from the input device a selected function command from one of the plurality of function commands in the function command list.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of performing a function corresponding to the selected function command on a portion of the image data which corresponds to the designated image block so as to create modified image data.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the image processing device is connected to a printer, and further comprising the step of sending the modified image data to the printer for printing an image.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein each set of block attribute data identifies an image data type corresponding to the respective identified image block.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the image data type corresponds to printed text.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the image data type corresponds to a graphic image.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein the image data type corresponds to a photographic image.

9. A method according to claim 5, wherein the image data type corresponds to a halftone image.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of function commands contained in the function command list is prioritized in an order corresponding to a probability of use for each respective function command.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the display device is a monitor.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the display device is a liquid crystal display.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the input device is a keypad.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the input device is a keyboard.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the input device is a mouse.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the input device and the display device are combined in a touch screen display.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of function commands is an image editing function.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the image editing function is a moving function for moving the designated image block.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein the image editing function is a cropping function for cropping the designated image block.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the image editing function is a masking function for masking the designated image block.

21. A method according to claim 17, wherein the image editing function is a magnification function for adjusting the magnification of the designated image block.

22. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of function commands corresponds to a color adjustment function.

23. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of function commands corresponds a contrast adjustment function.

24. A method according to claim 1, wherein the function commands contained in the function command list are selected and prioritized based on a usage history of each function command.

25. A method according to claim 1, wherein the function commands contained in the function command list are selected and prioritized based on an operator identification.

26. A method according to claim 1, wherein the image processing device receives the image data from a digital copying apparatus over a connection between the image processing device and the digital copying apparatus.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the connection is a network connection.

28. A method according to claim 26, wherein the connection is the internet.

29. A method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps of applying a function to the image data so as to create modified image data, and sending the modified image data to a printing device disposed in the digital copying apparatus to print an image.

30. A method according to claim 1, wherein the image processing device is an image copying apparatus which further includes a scanning device and a printing device, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of scanning an original image with the scanning device to obtain the image data, performing a function corresponding to a selected one of the function commands on a portion of the image data corresponding to the designated image block, and sending the image data to the printing device for printing.

31. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of performing a second block selection process on the modified image data to identify at least one image block, and to identify a set of block attribute data corresponding to each identified image block.

32. A method according to claim 3, wherein the function is applied to a portion of the image data corresponding to a text line of the designated image block.

33. A method according to claim 3, wherein the function is applied to a portion of the image data corresponding to a word of the designated image block.

34. A method according to claim 3, wherein a modified image which corresponds to the modified image data is displayed on the display device.

35. A method according to claim 3, wherein the image data on which the bock selection process is performed has a low resolution.

39. An image processing device for composing an image, the image processing device having a scanning device, a printing device, a display device and an input device, comprising:

a program memory for storing process steps executable to perform a method according to any of claims 1 to 38; and

a processor for executing the process steps stored in said program memory.

40. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer readable medium, said computer-executable process steps for composing an image in an image processing device, the image processing device having a scanning device, a printing device, a display device and an input device, said computer-executable process steps comprising process steps executable to perform a method according to any of claims 1 to 38.

41. A computer-readable medium which stores computer-executable process steps, the computer-executable process steps for composing an image in an image processing device, the image processing device having a scanning device, a printing device, a display device and an input device, said computer-executable process steps comprising process steps executable to perform a method according to any of claims 1 to 38.

36. A method for composing an image in an image copying apparatus, the image copying apparatus having a scanning device, a printing device, a display device and an input device, said method comprising the steps of:

scanning, by the scanning device, an original image to obtain image data corresponding to the original image;

performing a block selection process on the image data to identify at least one image block and to determine a set of block attribute data for each identified image block;

displaying a composite image on the display device, the composite image comprised of each identified image block superimposed on the original image;

receiving a block designation command from the input device, the block designation command designating one of the identified image blocks as a designated image block;

displaying, in response to the block designation command, a function command list for the designated image block, the function command list containing a plurality of function commands based on the set of block attribute data for the designated image block;

receiving from the input device a selected function command from one of the plurality of function commands in the function command list;

performing a function corresponding to the selected function command on a portion of the image data which corresponds to the designated image block so as to create modified image data; and

sending the modified image data to the printing device for printing an image which corresponds to the modified image data.

37. A method for composing an image in an image processing device having a display device, an input device, a scanning device and a printing device, said method comprising:

receiving, from the scanning device, image data corresponding to an original image;

performing a first block selection process on the image data to identify at least one image block, and to identify a set of block attribute data corresponding to each identified image block;

receiving a function command from the input device, the function command corresponding to a designated one of the image blocks;

performing a function corresponding to the function command on a portion of the image data which represents the designated image block so as to generate modified image data; and

performing a second block selection process on the modified image data to identify at least one image block, and to identify a set of block attribute data corresponding to each identified image block.

38. A method for composing an image in an image copying apparatus, the image copying apparatus having a scanning device, a printing device, a display device and an input device, said method comprising the steps of:

scanning, by the scanning device, an original image to obtain image data corresponding to the original image;

performing a first block selection process on the image data to identify at least one image block, and to determine a set of block attribute data for each identified image block;

displaying a composite image on the display device, the composite image being comprised of each identified image blocks superimposed on the original image;

receiving a block designation command from the input device, the block designation command designating one of the identified image blocks as a designated image block;

displaying, in response to the block designation command, a function command list for the designated image block, the function command list containing a plurality of function commands based on the set of block attribute data for the designated image block;

receiving a selected function command from the input device, the selected function command corresponding to the designated image block;

performing a function corresponding to the selected function command on a portion of the image data which corresponds to the designated image block so as to create modified image data;

performing a second block selection process on the modified image data to identify at least one image block, and to identify a set of block attribute data corresponding to each identified image block; and

sending the modified image data to the printing device to print an image corresponding to the modified image data.