Image processing system

• US 6,369,913 B2
• Filed: 08/17/1999
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Aoyagi, Masato, Ohtomo, Ikuo, Okada, Sadao, Shouji, Tsutomu, Nakamoto, Osamu, Okazaki, Hiromichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Au, Amelia M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, MARTIN E
• Application Number:
  US09/375,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20010012112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 395/1.9, 358/1.11, 358/1.12, 358/449, 358/1.16, 382/254, 382/263, 382/264, 710/8, 710/9, 711/170
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3873 defined only by a limited number of coordinate points or parameters, e.g. corners, centre; for trimming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3877 Image rotation

Abstract

There are provided a copying machine executing the processing for reading image data from a document and the processing for printing the image data, a computer for editing image data read by the copying machine, and a memory board having a memory for storing therein image data to which an image data bus of the copying machine and an internal bus of the computer are connected respectively, and the copying machine executes the processing for reading image data from a document and writing the image data in a memory, the computer executes the processing for reading the image data from a memory, editing the image data, and writing the edited image data again in the memory, the copying machine executes the processing the reading the edited image data from the memory and printing the image data, and the memory board controls the operations for reading and writing the image data by the copying machine.

Claims

1. An image processing system comprising:

an image processing system comprising;

a reader for simultaneously reading image data for three colors of R, G, and B from a document to be read;

an editor for editing said image data read by said reader;

a printer for printing said image data edited by said editor; and

a storage device having a memory for storing therein said image data, to which internal buses of said reader, editor and printer are connected respectively via said memory so that said image data can be transferred via said memory;

said image processing system further comprising;

a computer located external of said image forming apparatus and connected to said image forming apparatus and including reading/printing control software to control reading of said image data from said storage device and to control said printer;

wherein

said reader executes the processing for reading image data for three colors of R, G, and B from said document and simultaneously writing said read image data for each of the three colors of R, G, and B in discrete regions set by discrete addresses for each of the three colors respectively in said memory using addresses set by said reading/printing control software in said computer;

said editor executes the processing for reading out image data written by said reader from said memory, editing the image data, and writing said edited image data in said memory again;

said printer executes the processing for reading out said image data written by said editor from said memory and printing said image data;

said storage device controls the processing for writing said image data by said reader and the processing for reading out the image data by the printer; and

the computer writing in and reading out said image data to and from said storage device also using the addresses set by said reading/printing control software in said computer.

2. An image processing system according to claim 1;

wherein said editor specifies at least size and resolution of the document to be read and execution of the processing for reading image data thereof to said reader and also sets an address for writing said image data read by said reader in said memory according to said size and resolution of the document specified above;

said reader reads, when execution of the processing for reading image data is specified by said editor, image data from said document in synchronism to a synchronizing signal comprising a vertical synchronizing signal, a horizontal synchronizing signal, and a clock signal according to said specified size and resolution of said document and writes the image data read as described above in said memory; and

said storage device receives said image data and synchronizing signal from said reader, controls the processing for writing by said reader according to the received synchronizing signal, and writes said image data at the address set by said editor.

3. An image processing system according to claim 1;

wherein said editor reads out image data having been written in said memory according to said set address, edits the image data, and then sets an address for writing the image data in said memory according to the edited image data, and writes the edited image data in said memory.

4. An image processing system according to claim 1;

wherein said editor specifies execution of the processing for printing said edited image data to said printer;

said printer generates, when execution of the processing for printing is specified by said editor, a synchronizing signal comprising a vertical synchronizing signal, a horizontal synchronizing signal, and a clock signal, and executes the processing for reading out said image data from said memory in synchronism to the generated synchronizing signal; and

said storage device receives said synchronizing signal from said printer, controls the processing for reading out image data by said printer according to the received synchronizing signal, and reads out said image data from the address set by said editor in synchronism to said synchronizing signal.

5. An image processing system according to claim 1;

wherein said reader can subject said image data read from the document to at least a smoothing processing and/or a moire removing processing; and

said editor can specify, when specifying execution of the processing for reading said image data, execution of said smoothing processing and/or the moire removing processing.

6. An image processing system according to claim 1;

wherein said printer can execute printing, when said image data is to be printed, in any of a character mode in which printing is executed with expression of characters, a picture mode in which printing is executed with expression of the picture, a first character/picture mode in which the character area is separated from the image data, the character mode is used for the character area, and said picture mode is used for other areas in printing, and a second character/picture mode in which said character mode or picture mode is specified for each color of said image data for printing; and

said editor can specify, when execution of the processing for printing is to be specified, any one of said character mode, picture mode, and first and second character/picture modes.

7. An image processing system according to claim 1;

wherein said editor can specify a reading range of said image data to said reader; and

said reader can read image data from said document according to the reading range specified by said editor.

8. An image processing system according to claim 1;

wherein said editor can specify a position for printing said image data; and

said storage device controls timing for reading out image data from said memory with said printer according to the printing position specified by said editor.

9. An image processing system according to claim 1;

wherein said editor can set the timing for outputting image data for each of the colors according to timing for forming an image for each color in a case where said printer is of a type in which image formation is performed, when a color image is to be printed, for each of said colors of the color image and then one color image is printed; and

said storage device controls the processing for reading out image data from said memory by said printer according to the timing for output set by said editor.

10. An image processing system according to claim 1;

wherein said editor can have a given number of other editors connected thereto and also can form a network in which image data can be read out and printed by using said reader and printer through the editor.

11. An image processing system according to claim 1;

wherein said reader and printer form a digital color copying machine;

said editor is a computer having an application program for editing images stored therein; and

said storage device is a memory board having a memory for storing images therein and an interface connecting an image data bus of said copying machine and an internal bus of the computer to said memory for images so that image data can be written in from said copying machine or the computer or read out from said memory for images.

12. An image processing method in an image processing system comprising an image forming apparatus comprising a reader for simultaneously reading image data for three colors of R, G, and B from a document to be read, an editor for editing said image data read by said reader, a printer for printing said image data edited by said editor, and a storage device having a memory to which internal buses of said reader, editor and printer are connected respectively via said memory so that said image data can be transferred via said memory;

and a computer located external of said image forming apparatus and connected to said image forming apparatus and including reading/printing control software to control reading of said image data from said storage device and to control said printer;

said image processing method comprising;

a reading step of reading image data for three colors of R, G, and B from said document with said reader and also simultaneously writing the read image data for each of the three colors of R, G, and B in areas set be discrete addresses for each of said three colors respectively in said memory using addresses set by said reading/printing control software in the computer;

an editing step of reading said image data written in said reading step from said memory, editing the image data with said editor, and writing the edited image data again in said memory; and

a printing step of reading the image data written in said editing step from said memory and printing said image data with said printer,

the computer writing in and reading out said image data to and from said storage device also using the addresses set by said reading/printing control software in said computer.

13. An image processing method according to claim 12 further comprising:

a read execution specifying step of specifying, when image data is to be read in said reading step above, at least size, resolution of the document to be read and execution of the processing for reading image data thereof to the reader; and

an address setting step of setting an address for writing said image data read with said reader into said memory according to the size and resolution of the document specified in said read execution specifying step;

wherein, in said reading step, when execution of said processing for reading image data is specified in said read execution specifying step, image data is read from said document in synchronism to a synchronizing signal comprising a vertical synchronizing signal, a horizontal synchronizing signal, and a clock signal according to said specified size and resolution of said document, and said image data is written at the address set in said address setting step according to said synchronizing signal.

14. An image processing method according to claim 12;

wherein, in said editing step, the image data having been written in said memory is read out according to the address set in said address setting step with the image data edited, then an address for writing the image data into said memory is set according to the edited image data, and the edited image data is written into said memory.

15. An image processing method according to claim 12 further comprising:

a print execution specifying step of specifying execution of printing the image data edited in said editing step to said printer;

wherein, in said printing step, when execution of printing is specified in said print execution specifying step, the image data is read out from said memory in synchronism to a synchronizing signal comprising a vertical synchronizing signal, a horizontal synchronizing signal, and a clock signal according to the address set in said editing step.

16. An image processing method according to claim 12;

wherein said reading step includes a processing step of subjecting the image data read from said document to at least the smoothing processing and/or moire removing processing;

wherein, in said read execution specifying step, when execution of reading said image data is to be specified, execution of said smoothing processing and/or moire removing processing can be specified.

17. An image processing method according to claim 12;

wherein, in said printing step, when said image data is to be printed, printing can be executed in any of a character mode in which printing is executed with expression of characters, a picture mode in which printing is executed with expression of the picture, a first character/picture mode in which the character area is separated from said image data, the character mode is used for said character area, and the picture mode is used for other areas in printing, and a second character/picture mode in which the character mode or picture mode is specified for each color of the image data for printing; and

in said print execution specifying step, any one of said character mode, picture mode, and first and second character/picture modes can be specified.

18. An image processing method according to claim 12;

wherein, in said read execution specifying step, a range for reading said image data can be specified to said reader; and

in said reading step, image data is read from said document according to the reading range specified in said read execution specifying step.

19. An image processing method according to claim 12;

wherein, in said print execution specifying step, a position for printing said image data can be specified; and

in said printing step, said image data is read out from said memory in synchronism to the synchronizing signal at the timing corresponding to the printing position specified in said print execution specifying step.

20. An image processing method according to claim 12 further comprising:

a output timing setting step of setting timing for outputting image data for each of the colors according to the timing for forming an image for each of the colors when said printer is of a type in which image formation is performed, when a color image is printed by said printer, for each color of the color image and then one color image is printed;

wherein, in said printing step, said image data is read out from said memory according to the output timing set in said output timing setting step.

21. A computer-readable recording medium with a program making a computer execute each of the steps in the image processing method according to any one of claims 12 to 20 stored therein.