Multi-mode image processing method and a system thereof

• US 20030002733A1
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transpacific Optics LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mustek Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Tsai, Jewel, Wen, Nora
• Granted Patent: US 6,816,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40062 Discrimination between different image types, e.g. two-tone, continuous tone

Abstract

This specification discloses a multi-mode image processing method and the corresponding system. Multiple modes, including line art, gray level, and colors, are used to capture and store image information. An image capture device is used to capture a preliminary color image. An image analyzing device divides the preliminary color image into line art image areas, gray-level image areas, and color image areas. The image capture device captures an advanced line art image, an advanced gray-level image, and an advanced color image. Users can select the line art image areas, the gray-level image areas, and the color image areas in order to obtain the advanced line art image, the advanced gray-level image, and the advanced color image, respectively. An image storage device stores the multi-mode image information into a multi-mode image file.

Claims

1. A multi-mode image processing method capturing and storing image information of an object in line art, gray-level and colors multiple modes, which comprises the steps of:

capturing a preliminary image, in which an image capturing device is used to capture a preliminary colors image of the object;

analyzing image information, in which an image analyzing device is used to group the preliminary colors image into line art image areas, gray-level image areas, and colors image areas;

capturing an advanced image, in which the image capturing device obtains an advanced line art image, an advanced gray-level image, and an advanced colors image of the object according to the line art image areas, the gray-level image areas, and the colors image areas; and

storing image information, in which an image storage device stores the advanced line art image, the advanced gray-level image, and the advanced colors image in a multi-mode image file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of capturing a preliminary image uses a low resolution between 60 dpi and 300 dpi to capture the preliminary colors image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing image information further includes the steps of:

displaying the preliminary image, in which an image display device is used to display the preliminary colors image; and

selecting an area range, in which the user uses an input device to select the line art image areas, the gray-level image areas, and the colors image areas on the image display device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing image information further includes the steps of:

grouping colors coordinates, in which colors coordinates are grouped into line art space, gray-level space and colors space;

cutting image squares, in which the preliminary colors image is cut into a plurality of image squares horizontally and vertically;

computing distribution ratios, in which the distribution ratios of pixels in the line art space, the gray-level space and the colors space are computed for each image square; and

classifying the image squares, in which each of the image squares are classified into the line art image areas, the gray-level image areas, and the colors image areas according to the distribution ratios of pixels in the line art space, the gray-level space and the colors space.

5. The method of claim 4, where the step of grouping colors coordinates further includes the steps of:

converting the colors coordinates into CIE Lab coordinates (L, a, b);

grouping the point satisfying the condition that a²+b² is greater than or equal to a colors threshold value into the colors space;

grouping the point satisfying the conditions that a²+b² is smaller than the colors threshold value and L is between a white threshold value and a black threshold value into the gray-level space; and

grouping the other points into the line art space.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of capturing an advanced image uses a high resolution between 300 dpi and 2400 dpi to capture the advanced line art image, the advanced gray-level image and the advanced colors image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing image information further includes the steps of:

recording area image information, in which the coordinates of the line art image areas, the gray-level image areas, and the colors image areas are recorded; and

recording image information, in which the advanced line art image, the advanced gray-level image, and the advanced colors image are recorded.

8. A multi-mode image processing method capturing at least one existing image file for editing and storing the edited file in line art, gray-level and colors multiple modes, which comprises the steps of:

capturing existing images, in which at least one existing image is read in from an image storage device;

displaying a preliminary image, in which an image display device is used to display the existing image just read in;

editing image information, in which a user uses an input device to select line art image areas, gray-level image areas, colors image areas from the existing image shown on the image display device so as to obtain an advanced line art image, an advanced gray-level image, and an advanced colors image; and

storing image information, in which an image storage device stores the advanced line art image, the advanced gray-level image, and the advanced colors image in a multi-mode image file.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of storing image information further includes the steps of:

recording area image information, in which the coordinates of the line art image areas, the gray-level image areas, and the colors image areas are recorded; and

recording image information, in which the advanced line art image, the advanced gray-level image, and the advanced colors image are recorded.

10. A multi-mode image processing system capturing and storing image information of an object in line art, gray-level and colors multiple modes, which comprises:

an image capturing device, which captures a preliminary colors image of the object and captures an advanced line art image, an advanced gray-level image, an advanced colors image according to line art image areas, gray-level image areas, and colors image areas;

an image analyzing device, which connects to the image capturing device and group the preliminary colors image into the line art image areas, the gray-level image areas, and the colors image areas; and

an image storage device, which connects to the image capturing device to store the advanced line art image, the advanced gray-level image, and the advanced colors image in a multi-mode image file.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the image capturing device uses a low resolution between 60 dpi and 300 dpi to capture the preliminary colors image.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the image capturing device uses a high resolution between 300 dpi and 2400 dpi to capture the advanced line art image, the advanced gray-level image, and the advanced colors image.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the image analyzing device comprises:

an image display device, which displays the preliminary colors image; and

an input device, which allows the user to select the line art image areas, the gray-level image areas, and the colors image areas from the preliminary colors image shown on the image display device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the image analyzing device comprises:

a colors coordinate table, which lists all possibilities of color coordinates and groups the colors coordinates into line art space, gray-level space, and colors space;

an image cutting unit, which cuts the preliminary colors image into a plurality of image squares;

a computing unit, which computes the distribution ratios of the pixels in the line art space, the gray-level space, and the colors space for each of the image squares according to the colors coordinate table; and

a classifying unit, which connects to the computing unit and classifies each of the image squares into the line art image areas, the gray-level image areas, and the colors image areas according to the distribution ratios of the pixels contained in the image square in the line art space, the gray-level space, and the colors space.

15. The system of claim 14, where the colors coordinate table is obtained through the steps of:

converting the colors coordinates into CIE Lab coordinates (L, a, b);

grouping the point satisfying the condition that a²+b² is greater than or equal to a colors threshold value into the colors space;

grouping the point satisfying the conditions that a²+b² is smaller than the colors threshold value and L is between a white threshold value and a black threshold value into the gray-level space; and

grouping the other points into the line art space.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the multi-mode image file records the coordinates of the line art image areas, the gray-level image areas, and the colors image areas, and the advanced line art image, the advanced gray-level image, and the advanced colors image.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the multi-mode image file stores the coordinates of the line art image areas, the gray-level image areas, and the colors image areas, and the advanced line art image, the advanced gray-level image, and the advanced colors image.

17. A multi-mode image processing system reading in at least one existing image file for editing and storing the edited image file in line art, gray-level and colors multiple modes, which comprises:

an image display device, which displays at least one existing image;

an input device, which allows a user to select line art image areas, gray-level image areas, colors image areas from the existing image shown in the image display device to obtain an advanced line art image, an advanced gray-level image, and an advanced colors image; and

an image storage device, which the existing image file is read from and stores the advanced line art image, the advanced gray-level image, and the advanced colors image in a multi-mode image file.