Image processing system and image processing method

• US 20060170968A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 138 East LCD Advancements Limited (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Oyanagi, Makoto, Ishida, Goro, Kobayashi, Masaya, Maki, Yoichiro, Kojima, Shoji, Narusawa, Hideyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,023,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3871 the composed originals being of different kinds, e.g. low- and high-resolution originals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4074 using histograms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/603 controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer

Abstract

An image processing system is provided and includes a first receiving unit, a print control unit, a second receiving unit, a read control unit, and a composition unit. The first receiving unit receives an order-sheet request, and the print control unit causes a printer unit to print an area notation indicating a free rendering area on paper in accordance with the order-sheet request. The second receiving unit receives a scan request, and the read control unit causes an scan unit to read the paper on which a subject is recorded in the free rendering area in accordance with the scan request. Also, the composition unit composites an image of the free rendering area read by the scan unit in accordance with the scan request and the other image or images. A method that the system performs is also provided.

Claims

1. An image processing system, comprising:

first receiving unit that receives an order-sheet request;

print control unit that causes a printer unit to print an area notation indicating a free rendering area on paper in accordance with the order-sheet request;

second receiving unit that receives a scan request;

read control unit that causes an scan unit to read the paper on which a subject is recorded in the free rendering area in accordance with the scan request; and

composition unit that composites an image of the free rendering area read by the scan unit in accordance with the scan request and the other image or images.

2. An image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the print control unit causes the printer unit to print an identifier notation on the paper;

and

the composition unit composites the image of the free rendering area and the other image or images read by the scan unit based on the identifier notation read by the scan unit.

3. An image processing system according to claim 1, further comprising image selection command receiving unit that receives a command for selecting one or more of accessible images,

wherein the other image is the selected image.

4. An image processing system according to claim 3, wherein the print control unit causes the printer unit to print the image selected by the image selection command receiving unit on the paper.

5. An image processing system according to claim 4,

wherein the print control unit causes the printer unit to print, on the paper, an image showing a composite result of composition of the selected image and a sample image of the image of the free rendering area under a first composite condition;

and

the composition unit composites the selected image and the image of the free rendering area under a second composite condition corresponding to the first composite condition.

6. An image processing system according to claim 5, further comprising composite condition command receiving unit that receives a command for selecting, as the first composite condition, one of multiple different composite conditions for compositing the selected image and the image of the free rendering area,

wherein the print control unit causes the printer unit to print, on the paper, multiple images showing the multiple composite results of composition under different composite conditions receivable by the composite condition command receiving unit.

7. An image processing system according to claim 5, wherein the print control unit causes the printer unit to print the other image, the area notation and the image showing a composite result in one page.

8. An image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the print control unit causes the printer unit to print, on the paper, an image notation indicating an accessible image,

the system further comprising image selection mark recognizing unit that recognizes the image indicated by the image notation pointed by an image selection mark recorded on the paper based on the image read by the scan unit,

wherein the other image or images is or are an image or images each indicated by the image notation pointed by the image selection mark.

9. An image processing system according to claim 8,

wherein the image selection mark recognizing unit recognizes the multiple images indicated by the multiple image notations pointed by the image selection mark;

and

the composition unit composites the image of the free rendering area and the other multiple images.

10. An image processing system according to claim 8, wherein the read control unit causes the scan unit to read the image selection mark at a lower resolution than that for the free rendering area.

11. An image processing system according to claim 1, further comprising composite condition command receiving unit that receives a command for a composite condition for compositing the image of the free rendering area and the other image or images,

wherein the print control unit causes the printer unit to print, on the paper, the area notation indicating the free rendering area in a form in accordance with the commanded composite condition;

and

the composition unit composites the image of the free rendering area and the other image or images in accordance with the commanded composite condition.

12. An image processing system according to claim 1,

wherein the print control unit causes the printer unit to print, on the paper, multiple composite condition notations indicating different composite conditions for compositing the image of the free rendering area and the other image or images;

the system further comprising composite condition recognizing unit that recognizes the composite condition indicated by the composite condition notation pointed by the composite condition mark recorded on the paper based on the image read by the scan unit,

wherein the composition unit composites the image of the free rendering area read by the scan unit and the other image or images in accordance with the composite condition indicated by the composite condition notation pointed by the composite condition mark.

13. An image processing system according to claim 11, wherein the read control unit causes the scan unit to read the composite condition mark at a first resolution and causes the scan unit to read the free rendering area at a higher second resolution than the first resolution.

14. An image processing system according to claim 12, wherein the composite condition includes an overlap composite condition.

15. An image processing system according to claim 14, wherein the overlap composite condition includes a border processing condition for two images to be composited one over another.

16. An image processing system according to claim 14, wherein the overlap composite condition includes transparencies of two images to be composited one over another.

17. An image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the print control unit causes the printer unit to print a reference mark on the paper;

and

the read control unit recognizes the free rendering area based on the reference mark.

18. An image processing system according to claim 1, further comprising area extracting unit that extracts an area of a subject recorded in the free rendering area from the image of the free rendering area read by the scan unit,

the composition unit compositely superimposes the area of the subject of the image of the free rendering area and the other image or images.

19. An image processing system according to claim 18, wherein the area extracting unit recognizes the base color of the paper based on an image of a margin area excluding the free rendering area read by the scan unit and recognizes the area of the subject based on the base color of the paper.

20. An image processing system according to claim 1, further comprising the printer unit and the scan unit.

21. An image processing system according to claim 1, further comprising an interface that connects the printer unit and the scan unit.

22. An image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the print control unit causes the printer unit to print the other image and the area notation in one page in such a manner that a composite layout of these can be recognized.

23. An image processing system according to claim 22, wherein the print control unit causes the printer unit to print the other image and the area notation in such a manner that they may be adjacent to each other.

24. An image processing system according to claim 1, the print control unit causes the printer unit to print a character or an image in the free rendering area.

25. An image processing method, comprising:

receiving an order-sheet request;

causing a printer unit to print an area notation indicating a free rendering area on paper in accordance with the order-sheet request;

receiving a scan request;

causing an scan unit to read the paper on which a subject is recorded in the free rendering area in accordance with the scan request; and

compositing an image of the free rendering area read by the scan unit in accordance with the scan request and the other image or images.

26. An image processing method according to claim 25, comprising:

when causing the printer unit to print the area notation, causing the printer unit to print an identifier notation on the paper; and

when composing the other image and an image of the free rendering area, composing the other image or images and the image of the free rendering area read by the scan unit based on an image of the identifier notation read by the scan unit.

27. An image processing method according to claim 25, further comprising receiving a command for selecting one or more of accessible images,

wherein the other image is the selected image.

28. An image processing method according to claim 27, when causing the printer unit to print the area notation, causing the printer unit to print the selected image on the paper.

29. An image processing method according to claim 28, when causing the printer unit to print the area notation, causing the printer unit to print an image showing a composite result of composition of the selected image and a sample image of the image of the free rendering area under a first composite condition;

and

when compositing the image of the free rendering area and the other image, compositing the selected image and the image of the free rendering area under a second composite condition corresponding to the first composite condition.

30. An image processing method according to claim 25, further comprising extracting an area of a subject recorded in the free rendering area from the image of the free rendering area read by the scan unit,

when compositing the image of the free rendering area and the other image, compositely superimposing the area of the subject of the image of the free rendering area and the other image or images.

31. An image processing method according to claim 30, when extracting the area of the subject, recognizing the base color of the paper based on an image of a margin area excluding the free rendering area read by the scan unit and recognizing the area of the subject based on the base color of the paper.

32. An image processing method according to claim 25, when causing the printer unit to print the area notation, causing the printer unit to print the other image and the area notation in one page in such a manner that a composite layout of these can be recognized.

33. An image processing method according to claim 32, when causing the printer unit to print the area notation, causing the printer unit to print the other image and the area notation in such a manner that they may be adjacent to each other.

34. An image processing method according to claim 25, when causing the printer unit to print the area notation, causing the printer unit to print a character or an image in the free rendering area.