Information processing apparatus, information processing method, storage medium, and printing system

• US 6,504,955 B2
• Filed: 08/31/1998
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Oomura, Hiroshi, Shimura, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Phuoc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alavi; Amir
• Application Number:
  US09/144,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20020018593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 382/170,171,172,173,174,175,176,135,317,177,178,179,180,190,194,199,226,256 395/143,144,145,163,164,788
• US Class Current: 382/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/148 Segmentation of character regions

Abstract

It is an object to print an image as it is inherently formed. Objects constructing the image are separated to character train objects in which there is no need to consider an overlap and the other objects by a character train separator. A character train converter converts the separated character train objects in which there is no need to consider the overlap into character code information and transmits to a printer. The other objects are converted into image information by a drawer and transmitted to the printer. The printer synthesizes a glyph formed by a glyph generator from the character code information onto the received image information and outputs.

Claims

1. A character processing apparatus connectable to a printer which develops character train information into bit map data using font information, develops image information into bit map data, and prints the bit map data, said character processing apparatus comprising:

a first discriminator unit for performing a discrimination process comprising discriminating whether a region of a character object has an overlap with that of another object;

a conversion unit for converting the character object into image information using font information if said first discriminator unit discriminates that the region of the character object has an overlap with that of another object, and for converting the character object into character train information including a character code and a print position if said first discriminator unit discriminates that the region of the character object has no overlap with that of another object; and

a transmission unit for transmitting the one of the image information and the character train information converted from the character object by said conversion unit to the printer.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second discriminator unit for discriminating whether said first discriminator unit has performed the discrimination process a predetermined number of times, wherein said conversion unit converts the character object into image information using font information if said second discriminator unit discriminates that said first discriminator has performed the discrimination process the predetermined number of times.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if said first discriminator unit discriminates that the region of the character object has an overlap with that of another object, said conversion unit converts the character object into image information based on the other object.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the other object is another character object.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printer performs a printing process based on an image developed from the received character train information and the received image information.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third discriminator unit for discriminating whether an overlap of the region of the character object with that of another object should be taken into consideration, wherein said first discriminator unit performs the discrimination process if said third discriminator unit discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said third discriminator unit discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration if a color specified in the character object differs from that of the other object.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said third discriminator unit discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration for a drawing operation other than an overwriting and logical OR operation.

9. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said third discriminator unit discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration for a drawing operation other than an overwriting and transparent background color operation.

10. A character processing method carried out in a host apparatus connectable to a printer which develops character train information into bit map data using font information, develops image information into bit map data, and prints the bit map data, said method comprising:

performing a first discrimination process comprising discriminating whether a region of a character object has an overlap with that of another object;

converting the character object into image information using font information if said first discrimination process discriminates that the region of the character object has an overlap with that of another object, and converting the character object into character train information including a character code and a print position if said first discrimination process discriminates that the region of the character object has no overlap with that of another object; and

transmitting the one of the image information and the character train information converted from the character object in said conversion step to the printer.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising a second discrimination process of discriminating whether said first discrimination process has performed the discrimination process a predetermined number of times, wherein said conversion step converts the character object into image information using font information if said second discrimination process discriminates that said first discrimination process performed the discrimination process the predetermined number of times.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein if said first discrimination process discriminates that the region of the character object has an overlap with that of another object, said conversion step converts the character object into image information based on the other object.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the other object is another character object.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein the printer performs a printing process based on an image developed from the received character train information and the received image information.

15. A method according to claim 10, further comprising a third discrimination process for discriminating whether an overlap of the region of the character object with that of another object should be taken into consideration, wherein said first discrimination process performs the discrimination process if said third discrimination process discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said third discrimination process discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration if a color specified in the character object differs from that of the other object.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein said third discrimination process discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration for a drawing operation other than an overwriting and logical OR operation.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein said third discrimination process discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration for a drawing operation other than an overwriting and transparent background color operation.

19. A computer-readable memory medium storing computer-executable process steps for character processing carried out in a host apparatus connectable to a printer which develops character train information into bit map data using font information, develops image information into bit map data, and prints the bit map data, said process steps comprising:

a first discrimination process comprising discriminating whether a region of a character object has an overlap with that of another object;

a conversion process to convert the character object into image information using font information if said first discrimination process discriminates that the region of the character object has an overlap with that of another object, and to convert the character object into character train information including a character code and a print position if said first discrimination process discriminates that the region of the character object has no overlap with that of another object; and

a transmission process to transmit the one of the image information and the character train information converted from the character object in said conversion process to the printer.

20. A computer-readable memory according to claim 19, further comprising a second discrimination process to discriminate whether said first discrimination process has performed the discrimination process a predetermined number of times, wherein said conversion process converts the character object into image information using font information if said second discrimination process discriminates that said first discrimination process has performed the discrimination process the predetermined number of times.

21. A computer-readable memory according to claim 19, wherein if said first discrimination process discriminates that the region of the character object has an overlap with that of another object, said conversion process converts the character object into image information based on the other object.

22. A computer-readable memory according to claim 19, wherein the other object is another character object.

23. A computer-readable memory according to claim 19, wherein the printer performs a printing process based on an image developed from the received character train information and the received image information.

24. A computer-readable memory according to claim 19, further comprising a third discrimination process to discriminate whether an overlap of the region of the character object with that of another object should be taken into consideration, wherein said first discrimination process performs the discrimination process if said third discrimination process discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration.

25. A computer-readable memory according to claim 24, wherein said third discrimination process discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration if a color specified in the character object differs from that of the other object.

26. A computer-readable memory according to claim 24, wherein said third discrimination process discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration for a drawing operation other than an overwriting and logical OR operation.

27. A computer-readable memory according to claim 24, wherein said third discrimination process discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration for a drawing operation other than an overwriting and transparent background color operation.

28. Computer-executable process steps for character processing carried out in a host apparatus connectable to a printer which develops character train information into bit map data using font information, develops image information into bit map data, and prints the bit map data, said process steps comprising:

performing a first discrimination process comprising discriminating whether a region of a character object has an overlap with that of another object;

converting the character object into image information using font information if said first discrimination process discriminates that the region of the character object has an overlap with that of another object, and converting the character object into character train information including a character code and a print position if said first discrimination process discriminates that the region of the character object has no overlap with that of another object; and

transmitting the one of the image information or the character train information converted from the character object in said conversion step to the printer.

29. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 28, further comprising a second discrimination process of discriminating whether said first discrimination process has performed the discrimination process a predetermined number of times, wherein said conversion step converts the character object into image information using font information if said second discrimination process discriminates that said first discrimination process performed the discrimination process the predetermined number of times.

30. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 28, wherein if said first discrimination process discriminates that the region of the character object has an overlap with that of another object, said conversion step converts the character object into image information based on the other object.

31. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 28, wherein the other object is another character object.

32. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 28, wherein the printer performs a printing process based on an image developed from the received character train information and the received image information.

33. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 28, further comprising a third discrimination process for discriminating whether an overlap of the region of the character object with that of another object should be taken into consideration, wherein said first discrimination process performs the discrimination process if said third discrimination process discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration.

34. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 33, wherein said third discrimination process discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration if a color specified in the character object differs from that of the other object.

35. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 33, wherein said third discrimination process discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration for a drawing operation other than an overwriting and logical OR operation.

36. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 33, wherein said third discrimination process discriminates that the overlap should be taken into consideration for a drawing operation other than an overwriting and transparent background color operation.