Image output device

• US 5,893,130 A
• Filed: 04/10/1996
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hori, Yasuhisa, Inoue, Katsumi, Hayakawa, Tamami, Wakuri, Noriko
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Young, John L.
• Application Number:
  US08/630,222
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 345/431, 345/432, 345/418, 345/471, 345/150, 345/154, 345/171, 345/467, 345/358, 345/302, 345/180, 345/148, 345/156, 348/391, 358/500, 358/537, 358/515, 358/521, 358/296, 707/500, 707/516, 707/104, 707/535, 707/526, 707/528, 707/530, 707/532, 707/536, 704/4
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77

Abstract

When a type of a target document is selected by an input unit from selection items displayed in a window of a display device based upon a type table, a word group of an image corresponding to the type of the document is displayed based upon an image table. When a word of the target image is selected from the word group, a color arrangement and a typeface corresponding to the image are determined based upon an image color arrangement conversion table. As a result, target color representation can be automatically displayed by an easy operation which does not require special technique and knowledge.

Claims

1. An image output device, comprising:

an input unit including structure enabling inputting a type and an image of a document;

a storage device previously storing data including types of documents, a word group representing images of documents corresponding to the types of documents and display forms corresponding to each word in the word group;

a converter communicating with said input unit and said storage device, said converter converting the inputted type and image of the document into corresponding display form data in accordance with the data stored in said storage device; and

a display communicating with said converter, said display displaying a color image based upon the display form data.

2. The image output device as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said storage device stores a type table including the types of the documents, an image table including the word group representing the images of the documents corresponding to the types of the documents and an image color arrangement conversion table including color arrangements and typefaces corresponding to each word in the word group,

said converter comprises a type image converter that converts the inputted type by said input unit into the corresponding word group by retrieving the image table, and an image color arrangement converter that converts the image inputted by said input unit into corresponding color arrangement and typeface by retrieving the image color arrangement conversion table.

3. The image output device as defined in claim 1, wherein said converter, when the type of the document is inputted as a character string, converts the character string into a type of a document, which is previously stored in the storage device and is same as or similar to the character string.

4. The image output device as defined in claim 1, wherein said converter, when the image of the document is inputted as a character string, converts the character string into an image of a document, which is previously stored in the storage means and is same as or similar to the character string.

5. The image output device as defined in claim 1, wherein said display form data are color arrangement data of gradation which is a pattern whose brightness, hue or saturation continuously changes.

6. The image output device as defined in claim 5,

wherein said color arrangement data are data of a start color of the gradation, and an end color of the gradation,

said image output device further comprising a color calculating device that refers to the data and calculates a color between two colors according to a number of splits in the area between the start color and the end color.

7. The image output device as defined in claim 5, wherein said storage device includes a color arrangement data storage section storing a series of the color arrangement data of the gradation as a pattern, and

wherein when the number of times the pattern is repeated is inputted by said input, the pattern of the gradation is repeatedly displayed on said display only the number of times.

8. The image output device as defined in claim 5, wherein said input selectively specifies whether a target area where the gradation is drawn is a background or an inner section of an objective design.

9. The image output device as defined in claim 5, further comprising:

a setting device that sets a range of drawing the gradation,

wherein when said input unit inputs a starting position and an end position of the gradation, the gradation is drawn between the start position and the end position on the display.

10. The image output device as defined in claim 9, wherein an outer area out of the range of the gradation, colors, which are estimated based upon the gradation of the area in the end position-to-start position direction, are displayed in the outer area from the start position, and colors, which are estimated based upon the gradation of the area in the start position-to-end position direction, are displayed in the outer area from the end position.

11. The image output device as defined in claim 9, further comprising a color transition setting device that calculates color transition of the gradation according to a locus which shows a changing amount of the gradation obtained by specifying coordinate positions along a direction where colors change.

12. The image output device as defined in claim 9, further comprising a color transition setting device that, when a locus is drawing in the area specified range of the gradation by said input, calculates a Y coordinate value, which is at a right angle to a direction of X where the gradation continuously changes, according to an X coordinate value obtained when the locus is equally divided in the direction of X, calculates intervals of each Y coordinate value, and obtains a ratio of each interval to a length of the direction of Y of the area so as to calculate a width of each color in the gradation.

13. The image output device as defined in claim 1, wherein said display form data are color arrangement data of a rainbow comprising a color band group composed of plural colors.

14. The image output device as defined in claim 13, further comprising a color transition setting device that calculates color transition of the rainbow according to a locus which shows a changing amount of the rainbow obtained by specifying coordinate positions along a direction where colors change.

15. The image output device as defined in claim 13, further comprising a color transition setting device that, when a locus is drawing in the area specified range of the rainbow by said input, calculates a Y coordinate value of the locus in a direction of Y, which is at a right angle to a direction of X where the rainbow colors change, according to an X coordinate value obtained when the locus is equally divided in the direction of X, calculates intervals of each Y coordinate value, and obtains a ratio of each interval to a length of the direction of Y of the area so as to calculate a width of each color of the rainbow.

16. The image output device as defined in claim 13, wherein said storage device includes a color arrangement data storage section for storing a series of the color arrangement data of the rainbow as a pattern, and

wherein when the number of times the pattern is repeated is inputted by said input, the pattern of the rainbow is repeatedly displayed on said display the number of times.

17. The image output device as defined in claim 13, wherein said input selectively specifies whether a target area where the rainbow is drawn is a background or an inner section of an objective design.

18. The image output device as defined in claim 13, further comprising:

a setting device that sets a range of drawing the rainbow,

wherein when a start position and an end position of the rainbow are inputted by the input, the rainbow is drawn between the start position and the end position on said display.

19. The image output device as defined in claim 18, wherein in an outer area out of the range of drawing the rainbow, the same color as the start position is displayed in the outer area on the start position side, and the same color as the end position is displayed in the outer area on the end position side.

20. An image output device comprising:

input means for specifying colors;

processing means for creating a mixed color by mixing a plurality of colors according to data from said input means;

storage means for previously storing data of basic colors and for storing the data from said input means and data of the created mixed color; and

display means for outputting a display screen where a basic color display area and a color mixing area are positioned, a plurality of basic colors being displayed in said basic color display area according to the data stored in said storage means, said color mixing area having a plurality of areas where a plurality of colors specified by said input means are mixed, the created mixed color being displayed in said color mixing area according to the data stored in said storage means, wherein;

said input means includes target specifying means for specifying a target color by moving the target specifying means on the display screen, and

as a locus is drawn by moving said target specifying means, a mixed color of the passed colors is created on the display screen where said target specifying means has passed.

21. The image output device as defined in claim 20, wherein:

an image palette, which graphically represents a real palette to be used for drawing a picture, is displayed on said display screen,

the basic color display area and the color mixing area are arranged within the image palette so that the basic color display area is above the color mixing area.

22. The image output device as defined in claim 21, wherein a color of the image palette cannot be set as the basic color or mixed color.

23. The image output device as defined in claim 20, wherein:

an image palette, which graphically represents a real palette to be used for drawing a picture, is displayed on the display screen,

the basic color display area and the color mixing area are arranged within the image palette so that the basic color display area is on the left side of the color mixing area.

24. The image output device as defined in claim 20, wherein in the color mixing area, the basic colors displayed in the basic color display area are mixed, the created mixed color and the basic colors are mixed or the mixed colors are mixed.

25. The image output device as defined in claim 20, wherein:

said input means includes target specifying means for specifying a target color by moving the target specifying means on the display screen,

said processing means includes comparison means for comparing the color of the target specifying means with the color on the color mixing area,

when a judgment is made that the two colors compared by the comparison means are different, the color of the target specifying means is mixed with the color on the color mixing area so that a mixed color is created.

26. The image output device as defined in claim 20, wherein:

said storage means includes a table composed of words representing images and data of basic colors corresponding to the words,

the basic colors are displayed by inputting a word representing an image of target basic colors by said input means.

27. The image output device as defined in claim 26, wherein necessary basic colors used for creating a target mixed color are displayed by inputting a word representing an image of the target mixed color by said input means.

28. The image output device as defined in claim 20, wherein said storage means loads the mixed color created in the color mixing area as the basic colors therein.

29. The image output device as defined in claim 20, wherein a ratio of the mixed colors changes according to time for said input means specifying colors in the color mixing area.

30. The image output device as defined in claim 20, wherein a ratio of the mixed colors changes according to time for said input means moving between colors when specifying a plurality of colors in the color mixing area.

31. The image output device as defined in claim 20, wherein a ratio of the mixed color changes according to a strength of touching pressure by said input means on the display screen when said input means specifies colors in the color mixing area.

32. The image output device as defined in claim 20, wherein a ratio of the mixed color changes according to a range that said input means moves on colors when said input means specifies colors in the color mixing area.

33. The image output device as defined in claim 20, wherein:

said storage means includes a table composed of numerical values according to a physical quantity of a state that said input means specifies a mixed color and multiple values according to the numerical values,

when the state that said input means specifies a mixed color is changed, a basic mixing ratio is multiplied by a multiple value according to the state so that a ratio of the specified mixed colors is changed.

34. An image output device comprising:

input means for specifying colors;

processing means for creating a mixed color by mixing a plurality of colors according to data from said input means;

storage means for previously storing data of basic colors and for storing the data from said input means and data of the created mixed color; and

display means for outputting a display screen where a basic color display area and a color mixing area are positioned, a plurality of basic colors being displayed in said basic color display area according to the data stored in said storage means, said color mixing area having a plurality of areas where a plurality of colors specified by said input means are mixed, the created mixed color being displayed in said color mixing area according to the data stored in said storage means, wherein;

not less than two colors selected from arbitrary colors including a transparent color are used and a pattern, which is a color form where a design is formed according to a difference in the colors, is displayed on the display screen,

data of the pattern includes a first area including information as to a color used for the pattern, and a second area including information as to a form of the pattern, said data of the pattern being also stored in said storage means, and

when the colors and the pattern are specified by said input means, the colors and the pattern are mixed, a resulting color of the pattern being determined based on a color representing the information stored in said first area for the data of the pattern, and a color specified by said input means.

38. The image output device as defined in claim 34, wherein:

said storage means stores a gesture indicated by symbols representing the basic colors and a procedure for drawing the symbols,

when the gesture is drawn on the display screen by said input means, the basic colors are displayed.

39. The image output device as defined in claim 34, wherein:

said input means includes target specifying means for specifying a target color by moving the target specifying means on the display screen,

said target specifying means passes a basic color group in the basic color display area so that the basic colors are replaced by group.

40. The image output device as defined in claim 34, wherein:

said storage means includes hiragana and a corresponding kanji dictionary,

when words representing desired basic colors are inputted with hiragana by said input means, the basic colors in the basic color display area are replaced by color or group.

35. An image output device comprising:

input means for specifying colors;

processing means for creating a mixed color by mixing a plurality of colors according to data from said input means;

storage means for previously storing data of basic colors and for storing the data from said input means and data of the created mixed color; and

display means for outputting a display screen where a basic color display area and a color mixing area are positioned, a plurality of basic colors being displayed in said basic color display area according to the data stored in said storage means, said color mixing area having a plurality of areas where a plurality of colors specified by said input means are mixed, the created mixed color being displayed in said color mixing area according to the data stored in said storage means, wherein;

said storage means includes a judgment memory for storing color data and data of a pattern, which is a color form where a design is formed according to differences in not less than two colors selected from arbitrary colors including a transparent color,

said processing means including discriminating means for discriminating the color data from the pattern data by reading the data in the judgment memory.

36. An image output device comprising:

input means for specifying colors;

processing means for creating a mixed color by mixing a plurality of colors according to data from said input means;

storage means for previously storing data of basic colors and for storing the data from said input means and data of the created mixed color; and

display means for outputting a display screen where a basic color display area and a color mixing area are positioned, a plurality of basic colors being displayed in said basic color display area according to the data stored in said storage means, said color mixing area having a plurality of areas where a plurality of colors specified by said input means are mixed, the created mixed color being displayed in said color mixing area according to the data stored in said storage means, wherein;

said input means includes target specifying means for specifying a target color by moving the target specifying means on the display screen,

said target specifying means passes a plurality of colors in the color mixing area and draws a locus so that a pattern is formed according to the locus, and

said processing means, while being set in a non-color-mixing mode, forms a pattern according to a locus of said target specifying means within the color mixing area on the display screen as the user manipulates said target specifying means to pass a plurality of colors on the color mixing area.

37. The image output device as defined in claim 36, wherein a form of the pattern changes according to a physical quantity in the state where said input means draws the locus.

41. An image output device, comprising:

input means for inputting a type and an image of a document;

storage means previously storing data including types of documents, a word group representing images of documents corresponding to the types of documents, and display forms corresponding to each word in the word group;

converting means communicating with said input means and said storage means for converting the inputted type and image of the document into corresponding display form data in accordance with the data stored in said storage means; and

display means communicating with said converting means for displaying a color image based upon the display form data.

42. A method of operating an image output device to display a color image, the method comprising:

inputting a type and an image of a document;

previously storing data including types of documents, a word group representing images of documents corresponding to the types of documents, and display forms corresponding to each word in the word group;

converting the inputted type and image of the document into corresponding display form data in accordance with the previously stored data; and

displaying a color image based upon the display form data.