IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS WITH PREVIEW DISPLAY FUNCTION, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM

• US 20090290182A1
• Filed: 05/19/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Tamai, Yoshiyuki, Takahashi, Kazusei, Uchida, Hisashi, HASHIMOTO, Masaya
• Granted Patent: US 8,861,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5087 for receiving image data
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1256 User feedback, e.g. print preview, test print, proofing, pre-flight checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1296 Printer job scheduling or printer resource handling
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/005 only locally

Abstract

On an operation panel, a preview image based on first preview image data generated by a first preview image generator is displayed (first stage), and then, a preview image based on second preview image data generated by a second preview image generator is displayed (second stage). An image reducing unit reduces input image data into an image size appropriate for the preview image to generate third preview image data. When image synthesis processing is set as user setting, an image processing unit changes, in accordance with the user setting, a display aspect of at least a portion of an area on the third preview image data corresponding to an area on the input image data in which another image data (a fixed pattern or the like) is to be synthesized.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a display;

an input unit for receiving an operation by a user for user setting;

an image processor for generating, by image-processing first image data in accordance with said user setting, second image data; and

a controller for providing a preview display on said display prior to outputting said second image data, wherein

said controller including;

a first image generator for generating first preview image data from said first image data, and for displaying a first preview image on said display based on the generated first preview image data, and

a second image generator for generating second preview image data corresponding to said second image data, and for updating said preview display on said display from said first preview image to a second preview image based on the generated second preview image data.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said image-processing includes image synthesis processing of synthesizing third image data on said first image data to generate said second image data, and

said first image generator is configured to generate said first preview image data that is changed in a screen appearance of a portion of an area corresponding to an area on said first image data in which said third image data is to be synthesized.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said second image generator is configured to generate said second preview image data from said second image data generated by said image processor.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said first image generator is further configured to;

generate third preview image data having a smaller image size from said first image data,

store the generated third preview image data, and

generate said first preview image data from said third preview image data, and

said second image generator is configured to generate said second preview image data from said third preview image data stored by said first image generator.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said second image generator is further configured to regenerate, in response to change of said user setting relating to the image synthesis processing, said second preview image data from said third preview image data stored by said first image generator.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said first image generator is configured to generate said first preview image data by executing at least any one of;

adding a frame indicating the area in which said third image data is to be synthesized,

changing a characteristic value of a pixel included in the area in which said third image data is to be synthesized, and

replacing the area in which said third image data is to be synthesized by a predetermined pattern image.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said image-processing includes image conversion processing of converting said first image data to said second image data having an output mode specified by said user setting,

said image processor is configured to,

determine requirement of the image conversion processing based on an attribute of said first image data and said user setting, and

execute the image conversion processing to generate said second image data when the image conversion processing is determined to be required.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said second image generator is configured to generate said second preview image data from the generated second image data when the image conversion processing to said first image data is executed by said image processor.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said first image generator is configured to;

generate said first preview image data having a smaller image size from said first image data, and

store the generated first preview image data, and

said second image generator is configured to image-convert said first preview image data stored by said first image generator to generate said second preview image data.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said second image generator is configured to regenerate, in response to change of said user setting relating to the image conversion processing, said second preview image data from said first preview image data stored by said first image generator.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said controller is configured to cause said display to display, in addition to said preview display, that generation of said second preview image data is in processing in at least a part of a period between the time said first preview image is displayed and the time the displayed first preview image is updated to said second preview image.

12. An image processing method in an image processing apparatus including a display and an input unit, comprising the steps of:

generating, by image-processing first image data in accordance with user setting, second image data; and

providing a preview display on said display prior to outputting said second image data, wherein

said step of providing said preview display including the steps of;

generating first preview image data from said first image data,

displaying a first preview image on said display based on the generated first preview image data,

generating second preview image data corresponding to said second image data, and

updating said preview display on said display from said first preview image to a second preview image based on the generated second preview image data.

13. The image processing method according to claim 12, wherein

said image-processing includes image synthesis processing of synthesizing third image data on said first image data to generate said second image data, and

said step of displaying said first preview image includes the step of generating said first preview image data that is changed in a screen appearance of a portion of an area corresponding to an area on said first image data in which said third image data is to be synthesized.

14. The image processing method according to claim 13, wherein

said step of generating said second preview image data includes the step of generating said second preview image data from said second image data.

15. The image processing method according to claim 13, wherein

said step of generating said first preview image data includes the steps of;

generating third preview image data having a smaller image size from said first image data,

storing said generated third preview image data, and

generating said first preview image data from said third preview image data, and

said step of generating said second preview image data includes the step of generating said second preview image data from the stored third preview image data.

16. The image processing method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of:

regenerating, in response to change of said user setting relating to the image synthesis processing, said second preview image data from the stored third preview image data.

17. The image processing method according to claim 13, wherein

said step of displaying said first preview image includes the step of generating said first preview image data by executing at least any one of;

adding a frame indicating the area in which said third image data is to be synthesized,

changing a characteristic value of a pixel included in the area in which said third image data is to be synthesized, and

replacing the area in which said third image data is to be synthesized by a predetermined pattern image.

18. The image processing method according to claim 12, wherein

said image-processing includes image conversion processing of converting said first image data to said second image data having an output mode specified by said user setting,

said step of generating said second image data includes the steps of;

determining requirement of the image conversion processing based on an attribute of said first image data and said user setting, and

executing the image conversion processing to generate said second image data when the image conversion processing is determined to be required.

19. The image processing method according to claim 18, wherein

said step of generating said second preview image data includes the step of generating said second preview image data from the generated second image data when the image conversion processing to said first image data is executed.

20. The image processing method according to claim 18, wherein

said step of generating said first preview image data includes the steps of;

generating said first preview image data having a smaller image size from said first image data, and

storing the generated first preview image data, and

said step of generating the second preview image data includes the step of image-converting the stored first preview image data to generate said second preview image data.

21. The image processing method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of:

regenerating, in response to change of said user setting relating to the image conversion processing, said second preview image data from the stored first preview image data.

22. The image processing method according to claim 12, wherein

said step of providing said preview display further includes the step of displaying that generation of said second preview image data is in processing in at least a part of a period between the time said first preview image is displayed and the time the displayed first preview image is updated to said second preview image.

23. A computer-readable medium that stores an image processing program for executing an image processing method in a computer having a display and an input unit, said image processing program causing said computer to execute the steps of:

generating, by image-processing first image data in accordance with user setting, second image data; and

providing a preview display on said display prior to outputting said second image data, wherein

said step of providing said preview display including the steps of;

generating first preview image data from said first image data,

displaying a first preview image on said display based on the generated first preview image data,

generating second preview image data corresponding to said second image data, and

updating said preview display on said display from said first preview image to a second preview image based on the generated second preview image data.