Image output characteristic setting device
First Claim
1. An image output characteristic setting device for setting an image output characteristic, the device comprising:
- image data storage means for storing a set of entire image data indicative of an entire image, the entire image including at least one image portion, the set of entire image data including at least one set of image data indicative of the at least one image portion;
image type determining means for determining an image type of each image portion according to a hierarchical structure, in which the image type of each image portion is classified into photographs, graphics, text, or other image types of narrower categories than the categories of the image types of photogaphs, graphics and text;
image type data storage means for storing data of the image type that is determined for each set of image data as classified in the hierarchical structure;
image type selection means for enabling an operator to select, from the hierarchical structure, an image type, for which the operator desires to set his/her desired image output characteristic;
image data selecting means for selecting, from the image data storage means, at least one set of image data indicative of all of at least one image portion that belongs to the selected image type; and
common image output characteristic setting means for enabling the operator to input his/her desired image output characteristic and for setting the operator'"'"'s inputted image output characteristic as a common image output characteristic to all the selected at least one set of image data.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Before printing, the CPU 12 prescans image data stored in the working memory 14 to determine a location and an image type of each image portion in S3100. The CPU 12 creates image type data for all the image portions (partial images and their constituent image elements), and stores the image type data in the working memory 14. Image type data represent regions of the image portions, a hierarchical relationship between the respective image portions, and image types of the image portions. After manipulating the mouse input device to change a printing characteristic in S3500, the operator selects, in accordance with the hierarchical structure, an image type whose printing characteristic is desired to be changed in S3600. One or more image portions of the selected image type are displayed on an image layout screen. Image data for the displayed image portions is searched from the image type data. The operator selects and designates a printing characteristic desired to be set for the displayed image portions. As a result, in S3700, the operator'"'"'s designated printing characteristic is set as a common characteristic onto image data of the displayed image portions.
61 Citations
22 Claims
-
1. An image output characteristic setting device for setting an image output characteristic, the device comprising:
-
image data storage means for storing a set of entire image data indicative of an entire image, the entire image including at least one image portion, the set of entire image data including at least one set of image data indicative of the at least one image portion; image type determining means for determining an image type of each image portion according to a hierarchical structure, in which the image type of each image portion is classified into photographs, graphics, text, or other image types of narrower categories than the categories of the image types of photogaphs, graphics and text; image type data storage means for storing data of the image type that is determined for each set of image data as classified in the hierarchical structure; image type selection means for enabling an operator to select, from the hierarchical structure, an image type, for which the operator desires to set his/her desired image output characteristic; image data selecting means for selecting, from the image data storage means, at least one set of image data indicative of all of at least one image portion that belongs to the selected image type; and common image output characteristic setting means for enabling the operator to input his/her desired image output characteristic and for setting the operator'"'"'s inputted image output characteristic as a common image output characteristic to all the selected at least one set of image data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A device for setting printing characteristic to a composite image, the device comprising:
-
input means for inputting an operator'"'"'s instruction; image data combining means for combining at least one set of partial image data, indicative of at least one partial image, into a set of composite image data that indicates an entire composite image, each of the at least one partial image being of a corresponding image type that is either one of photographs, graphics, or text; image data storage means for storing the set of composite image data; print determining means for determining whether the operator'"'"'s instruction to print the entire composite image is inputted; image prescanning means for, in response to input of the operator'"'"'s instruction to print the entire composite image, automatically prescanning the composite image data to determine image types of a plurality of image portions that constitute the entire composite image, according to a hierarchical structure, wherein the image types are defined as photographs, graphics, text, or other image types of narrower categories than the categories of the image types of photographs, graphics and text; image type data storage means for storing data of the image type that is determined for each image portion as classified in the hierarchical structure; image printing characteristic initial setting means for initially setting a default image printing characteristic to each image portion in accordance with the determined image type; characteristic change determining means for determining whether the operator'"'"'s instruction to change the default image printing characteristic is inputted; image type selection means for, in response to input of the operator'"'"'s instruction to change the default image printing characteristic, enabling the operator to select, from the hierarchical structure, an image type whose image printing characteristic is desired to be changed from the corresponding default image printing characteristic to the operator'"'"'s desired image printing characteristic; image data selecting means for automatically selecting, from the image data storage means, all of one or more image portions that belongs to the operator'"'"'s selected image type; common image printing characteristic setting means for enabling the operator to input his/her desired image printing characteristic and for automatically setting the inputted image printing characteristic as a common image printing characteristic to all of the selected one or more image portion; output means for processing the entire composite image through processing image data for all the selected one or more image portion with the operator'"'"'s inputted image printing characteristic and processing image data of all the non-selected image portions with the initially-set default image printing characteristic; and display means capable of displaying images and messages, wherein the image type selection means includes control means for controlling the input means to allow the operator to input his/her designation of a category shift mode, the control means controlling, during the category shift mode, the display means to successively display names of the image types according to the hierarchical structure while successively displaying one or more image portions that belong to an image type whose name is presently being displayed, and wherein the common image printing characteristic setting means includes another control means for controlling the input means to allow the operator to input his/her designation of a print characteristic adjusting mode, the other control means controlling, during the print characteristic adjusting mode, to display data of image printing characteristics capable of being selected by the operator for the image type whose name is presently being displayed on the display means.
-
-
22. A method of setting a printing characteristic to a composite image, the method comprising the steps of:
-
combining at least one set of partial image data, indicative of at least one partial image, into a set of composite image data that indicates an entire composite image, each of the at least one partial image being of a corresponding image type that is either one of photographs, graphics, or text; storing the set of composite image data, determining whether the operator'"'"'s instruction to print the entire composite image is inputted; prescanning the composite image data, in response to input of the operator'"'"'s instruction to print the entire composite image, to determine image types of a plurality of image portions that constitute the entire composite image, according to a hierarchical structure, wherein the image types are defined as photographs, graphics, text, or other image types of narrower categories than the categories of the image types of photographs, graphics and text; storing data of the image type that is determined for each image portion as classified in the hierarchical structure; initially setting a default image printing characteristic to each image portion in accordance with the determined image type; determining whether the operator'"'"'s instruction to change the default image printing characteristic is inputted; enabling, in response to input of the operator'"'"'s instruction to change the default image printing characteristic, the operator to select, from the hierarchical structure, an image type whose image printing characteristic is desired to be changed from the corresponding default image printing characteristic to the operator'"'"'s desired image printing characteristic; selecting, from the entire composite image data, all of one or more image portions that belongs to the operator'"'"'s selected image type; enabling the operator to input his/her desired image printing characteristic and setting the inputted image printing characteristic as a common image printing characteristic to all of the selected one or more image portions; and processing the entire composite image through processing image data for all the selected one or more image portions with the operator'"'"'s inputted image printing characteristic and processing image data of all the non-selected image portions with the initially-set default image printing characteristic, wherein the image type selection step includes the step of allowing the operator to input his/her designation of a category shift mode and controlling, during the category shift mode, a display to successively display names of the image types according to the hierarchical structure while successively displaying one or more image portions that belong to an image type whose name is presently being displayed, and wherein the common image printing characteristic setting step includes the step of allowing the operator to input his/her designation of a print characteristic adjusting mode and controlling the display, during the print characteristic adjusting mode, to display data of image printing characteristics capable of being selected by the operator for the image type whose name is presently being displayed on the display means.
-
Specification