Image forming apparatus

• US 6,256,405 B1
• Filed: 07/20/1998
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaneko, Takashi, Some, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jay
• Application Number:
  US09/118,884
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/128, 382/129-133, 382/181, 382/305, 382/312, 345/501, 345/502, 345/522, 345/507, 378/190, 378/42
• US Class Current: 382/132
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes image data memory for storing image data, an image displaying section for displaying an image on a CRT, a graphic data memory for storing graphic data corresponding to patterns for defining regions of interest in the image on the CRT and a synthesized data producing section for synthesizing the image data and the graphic data to produce synthesized data, the image displaying section being adapted to display the image and pattern on the CRT based on the synthesized data. The apparatus further includes a pattern selecting section for selecting graphic data corresponding to the patterns for defining the regions of interest from among the graphic data stored in the graphic data memory, an editing mode determining section for determining an editing mode for editing the pattern corresponding to the selected graphic data, a graphic data editing section for editing the selected graphic data based on the determined editing mode, and edited graphic data producing section for producing edited graphic data based on the result of the editing of the graphic data editing section, the synthesized data producing section being adapted to produce synthesized data by synthesizing the image data, the graphic data and/or the edited graphic data. According to the thus constituted apparatus, it is possible to surround an area in the image displayed on the CRT by a pattern to specify a region of interest in a desired manner with a memory having a small capacity.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

image data storing means for storing image data, said image data being produced from an image of fluorescent substances;

image displaying means for displaying an image on displaying means based on the image data stored in the image data storing means;

graphic data storing means for storing graphic data corresponding to patterns for defining regions of interest in the image displayed on the displaying means;

synthesized data producing means for synthesizing the image data and the graphic data to produce synthesized data, the image displaying means being adapted to display the image and pattern on the displaying means based on the synthesized data;

pattern selecting means for selecting graphic data corresponding to the patterns for defining the regions of interest from among the graphic data stored in the graphic data storing means;

editing mode determining means for determining an editing mode for editing the pattern corresponding to the graphic data selected by the pattern selecting means;

graphic data editing means for editing the graphic data selected by the pattern selecting means based on the editing mode determined by the editing mode determining means; and

edited graphic data producing means for producing edited graphic data based on the result of the editing of the graphic data editing means, the synthesized data producing means being adapted to produce synthesized data by synthesizing the image data, the graphic data and/or the edited graphic data.

2. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the pattern selecting means is constituted so as to select predetermined graphic data from among the graphic data stored in the graphic data storing means based on first coordinate data specified by cursor means displayed and movable on the displaying means.

3. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein the editing mode determining means is constituted so as to determine the editing mode based on second coordinate data specified by the cursor means.

4. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein the graphic data editing means is constituted so as to calculate displacement between the second coordinate data and third coordinate data specified by the cursor means and edit the graphic data by effecting a predetermined calculation based on the thus calculated displacement and the graphic data.

5. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 4 which further comprises coordinate data storing means for sequentially storing the third coordinate data as the cursor means moves and sequentially outputting the third coordinate data to the graphic data editing means.

6. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the editing mode determining means is constituted so as to determine the editing mode based on second coordinate data specified by cursor means.

7. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein the graphic data editing means is constituted so as to calculate displacement between the second coordinate data and third coordinate data specified by the cursor means and edit the graphic data by effecting a predetermined calculation based on the thus calculated displacement and the graphic data.

8. An image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 7 which further comprises coordinate data storing means for sequentially storing the third coordinate data as the cursor means moves and sequentially outputting the third coordinate data to the graphic data editing means.

9. The image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said editing mode determining means determines the editing mode based on a specified position coordinate of said image, the position coordinate being specified by a cursor positioned thereon.

10. The image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 9, wherein said position coordinate is one of a plurality of position coordinates which are provided on said image for selecting the following editing modes:

a moving mode;

an enlarging/reducing mode;

a one direction enlarging/reducing mode;

a rotation mode;

a deformation mode; and

a rotation and deformation mode.

11. The image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein, in accordance with the editing mode selected, said graphic data editing means edits at least one of:

an x-coordinate data;

a y-coordinate data;

height data;

width data;

rotation angle data; and

deformation data.

12. The image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said editing mode determining means determines the editing mode based on a specified position coordinate of a cursor relative to the outline of the graphic data.

13. The image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein said position coordinate is one of a plurality of position coordinates which are provided about said outline for selecting the following editing modes:

a moving mode when the cursor is inside the outline;

an enlarging/reducing mode when the cursor is on the outline at a first predetermined region;

a one direction enlarging/reducing mode when the cursor is on the outline at a second predetermined region;

a rotation mode when the cursor is outside the outline at a third predetermined region;

a deformation mode when the cursor is outside the outline at a fourth predetermined region; and

a rotation and deformation mode when the cursor is outside the outline at a fifth predetermined region.

14. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image data memory in which image data is stored, said image data being produced from an image of fluorescent substances;

a display on which an image is displayed, the image being based on the image data stored in the image data memory;

a graphic data memory in which is stored graphic data corresponding to patterns for defining regions of interest in the image displayed on the display;

a data synthesizer which synthesizes the image data and the graphic data to produce synthesized data, the display being adapted to display the image and pattern based on the synthesized data;

a pattern selector which selects graphic data corresponding to the patterns for defining the regions of interest from among the graphic data stored in the graphic data memory;

an editing mode selector which selects an editing mode for editing the pattern corresponding to the graphic data selected by the pattern selector;

a graphic data editor which edits the graphic data selected by the pattern selector based on the editing mode selected by the editing mode selector; and

a graphic data generator which produces edited graphic data based on the result of the editing of the graphic data editor, the data synthesizer being adapted to produce synthesized data by synthesizing the image data, the graphic data and/or the edited graphic data.

15. The image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 14, wherein said editing mode selector selects the editing mode based on a specified position coordinate of said image, the position coordinate being specified by a cursor positioned thereon.

16. The image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 15, wherein said position coordinate is one of a plurality of position coordinates which are provided on said image for selecting each of the following editing modes:

a moving mode;

an enlarging/reducing mode;

a one direction enlarging/reducing mode;

a rotation mode;

a deformation mode; and

a rotation and deformation mode.

17. The image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 14, wherein, in accordance with the editing mode selected, said graphic data editor edits at least one of:

an x-coordinate data;

a y-coordinate data;

height data;

width data;

rotation angle data; and

deformation data.