Image data processing method and apparatus, and image processing system

• US 6,714,205 B1
• Filed: 08/13/1999
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Miyashita, Tomoyuki, Matsumoto, Kentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Monestime, Mackly
• Application Number:
  US09/373,716
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 345/530, 345/531, 345/536, 345/501, 382/232, 382/233, 382/305
• US Class Current: 345/536
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/393 Enlarging or reducing

Abstract

Disclosed are an image data processing method and apparatus for reading image data out of a memory and processing the image data, in which the memory stores image data representing an image as a collection of a plurality of partial images and from which the image data can be read out upon specifying image data in units of the partial images. If sequence information indicating the display sequence of the plurality of partial images of the image is stored in association with the image, then the partial images can be read out and displayed in accordance with the sequence information. By displaying completed partial images upon appending specific information thereto, it is possible to distinguish partial images whose display has been completed on a screen from partial images whose display has not been completed on the screen.

Claims

1. An image data processing apparatus comprising:

first storage means for storing image data representing an image constituted by a plurality of tile images into which the image is segmented and reading out the image data in tile image units;

second storage means for storing, in association with the image, sequence information specifying the tile images to be displayed and indicating a display sequence of specified tile images regardless of a display order of the tile images of the image;

read-out means, upon displaying the image, for successively reading image data of the specified tile images out of said first storage means in tile image units, based upon the sequence information stored in said second storage means; and

control means for controlling to display each specified tile image read out by said read-out means, in accordance with the display sequence.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first storage means stores each of the plurality of tile images with an identification code appended thereto, said sequence information consisting of the identification codes arranged in a desired sequence.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if tile images of the image remain after read-out of tile images specified by the sequence information has ended, said read-out means reads out the remaining tile images in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the sequence information has not been appended to the image that is the object read-out, said read-out means reads out all tile images of the image in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means controls to display tile images, which have been read out by said read-out means, by overwriting the tile images in units of a predetermined number thereof.

6. An image-data processing method for reading image data out of a memory and processing the image data, wherein the memory stores the image data representing an image composed of a plurality of tile images and reading out the image data in tile image units, comprising:

a storage step of storing sequence information specifying the tile images to be displayed and indicating a display sequence of specified tile images in association with an image, regardless of a display order of the tile images of the image;

a read-out step of successively reading out each of the specified tile images based upon the sequence information upon displaying the image; and

a control step of controlling to display each specified tile image read out at said read-out step, in accordance with the display sequence.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of tile images is stored with an identification code appended thereto, said sequence information consisting of the identification codes arranged in a desired sequence.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein if tile images of the image remain after read-out of tile images specified by the sequence information has ended, said read-out step reads out the remaining tile images of the image in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein if the sequence information has not been appended to the image that is the object read-out, said read-out step reads out all tile images of the image in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein said control step controls to display tile images, which have been read out at said read-out step, by overwriting the tile images in units of a predetermined number thereof.

11. An image processing system which includes a client and a server connected via a communication line, wherein said server includes:

first storage means for storing image data representing an image constituted by a plurality of tile images into which the image is segmented and reading out the image data in tile image units;

second storage means for storing, in association with the image, sequence information specifying the tile images to be displayed and indicating a display sequence of specified tile images regardless of a display order of the tile images of the image;

read-out means for successively reading each of the specified tile images of the image out of said first storage means based upon the sequence information stored in said second storage means, upon displaying the image;

first transmitting means, responsive to issuance of a request for an image from a client, for obtaining the sequence information related to the image from said second storage means and transmitting the sequence information to the client that issued the request for the image; and

second transmitting means, responsive to a request for an image from a client, for reading the specified tile images of the image out of said first storage means and transmitting the specified tile images to the client that issued the request for the image, in accordance with the display sequence; and

said client includes;

first issuing means for issuing the request for an image to the server;

second issuing means for issuing the request for the image to the server so that the specified tile images of the image are acquired in accordance with the display sequence based upon the sequence information transmitted by said first transmitting means; and

display control means for controlling to successively display the specified tile images transmitted by said second transmitting means of the server, in accordance with the display sequence.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said first storage means stores each of the plurality of tile images with an identification code appended thereto, said sequence information consisting of the identification codes arranged in a desired sequence.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein if tile images of the image remain after read-out of tile images specified by the sequence information has ended, said second issuing means reads out the remaining tile images in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein if the sequence information has not been appended to the image that is the object read-out, said second issuing means issues a request for tile images so that all tile images of the image will be read out in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said display control means controls to display tile images, which have been transmitted in accordance with the request for tile images by said second issuing means, by overwriting the tile images in units of a predetermined number thereof.

16. An image data processing method for displaying an image that has been divided into a plurality of tile images, comprising:

a specifying step of specifying tile images of the image to be displayed;

an input step of inputting image data of each of the tile images specified in said specifying step, in accordance with a predetermined display sequence of the specified tile images, regardless of a display order of the tile images of the image;

an accumulating step of storing the image data of the specified tile images input at said input step into a memory; and

a control step of appending specific information to the image data of the specified tile images input at said input step, and controlling to display the specified tile images in accordance with the predetermined display sequence.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising a re-display control step of controlling to display the plurality of tile images, without appending the specific information, after all of the image data of the plurality of tile images has been stored in the memory.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the image data is input via a communication line at said input step.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein said input step includes:

a specifying step of specifying a number of a tile image that is to be displayed; and

a step of receiving image data of the tile image sent in conformity with the number specified at said specifying step.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising a step of specifying the display sequence of the tile images.

21. An image data processing apparatus for displaying an image that has been divided into a plurality of tile images, comprising:

storage means for storing information specifying tile images and indicating a display sequence of specified tile images regardless of a display order of the tile images of the image;

input means for inputting image data of each of the specified tile images in accordance with the information stored in said storage means;

storage means for storing the image data of the specified tile images input by said input means; and

control means for controlling to append specific information related to the display sequence to the image data of the specified tile images input by said input means, and to display each of the specified tile images in accordance with the display sequence included in the information.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising means for controlling to display the plurality of tile images, without appending the specific information, after all of the image data of the plurality of tile images has been stored in said storage means.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said input means inputs the image data via a communication line.

24. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising specifying means for specifying a number of a tile image that is to be displayed;

wherein said input means inputs image data sent in conformity with the number specified by said specifying means.

25. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising means for changing the display sequence that has been stored in said storage means.

26. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for implementing an image data processing method for reading image data out of a memory and processing the image data, wherein the memory stores image data representing an image constituted by a plurality of tile images into which the image is segmented and reading out the image data in tile image units, comprising:

a storage-step module of storing sequence information specifying the tile images to be displayed and indicating a display sequence of specified tile images, in association with the image regardless of a display order of the tile images of the image;

a read-out-step module of successively reading out each of the specified tile images based upon the sequence information upon displaying the tile images; and

a control-step module of controlling to display each specified tile image in accordance with the display sequence.

27. The storage medium according to claim 26, wherein each of the plurality of tile images is stored with an identification code appended thereto, said sequence information consisting of the identification codes arranged in a desired sequence.

28. The storage medium according to claim 26, wherein if tile images of the image remain after read-out of tile images specified by the sequence information has ended, said read-out-step module reads out the remaining tile images in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

29. The storage medium according to claim 26, wherein if the sequence information has not been appended to the image that is the object read-out, said read-out-step module reads out all tile images of the image in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

30. The storage medium according to claim 26, wherein said control-step module controls to display tile images, which have been read out by said read-out-step module, by overwriting the tile images in units of a predetermined number thereof.

31. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for implementing an image data processing method for displaying an image that has been divided into a plurality of tile images, comprising:

a specifying step of specifying tile images of the image to be displayed;

an input-step module of inputting image data of each of the specified tile images of an image in accordance with a predetermined display sequence of the specified tile images, regardless of a display order of the tile images of the image;

a storing-step module of storing the image data of the specified tile images input by executing said input-step module into a memory; and

a display control-step module of controlling to append specific information to the image data of the specified tile images input by executing said input-step module, and to display each of the specified tile images in accordance with the display sequence.

32. The storage medium according to claim 31, further comprising a re-display control-step module of controlling to display the plurality of tile images, without appending the specific information, after all of the image data of the plurality of tile images has been stored in the memory.

33. The storage medium according to claim 31, wherein the image data is input via a communication line by said input-step module.

34. The storage medium according to claim 31, wherein said input-step module includes:

a specifying-step module of specifying a number of a tile image that is to be displayed; and

a step module of receiving image data of the tile image sent in conformity with the number specified by executing said specifying-step module.

35. The storage medium according to claim 31, further comprising a step module of specifying the display sequence of the tile images.

36. An image data processing method for controlling to display an image that has been divided into a plurality of tile images, comprising:

a specifying step of specifying tile images of the image to be displayed;

an input step of inputting image data of each of the specified tile images specified in said specifying step; and

a control step of controlling to append sequence information to the image data of the specified tile images input at said input step, and to display each of the specified tile images in accordance with an order defined by the sequence information, regardless of a display order of the tile images of the image.

37. The method according to claim 36, further comprising a request step of requesting the image data of each of the plurality of tile images corresponding to the image.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the image data of each of the plurality of tile images is input via a communication line at said input step.

39. An image data processing apparatus for displaying an image that has been divided into a plurality of tile images, comprising:

input means for inputting image data of each of the plurality of tile images corresponding to the image; and

control means for controlling to append sequence information specifying tile images and indicating a display sequence of the specified tile images, to the image data of each of the tile images input by said input means, and to display each of the specified tile images in accordance with the display sequence defined by the sequence information regardless of a display order of the tile images of the image.

40. The apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising request means for requesting the image data of each of the plurality of tile images corresponding to the image.