Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Attribute control
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-07
2003-11-18
Rogers, Scott (Department: 2624)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Attribute control
C358S003230, C358S003270, C358S523000, C358S532000, C348S207100, C348S207200, C348S231300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06650437
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system and an image processing method, and in particular, to an image processing method which carries out image processing on image data inputted from an input device, and transfers the image processed data to an output device, and to an image processing system to which the image processing method can be applied.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional image processing systems have been known which are structured by an image input device, an image processing device, and an image output device which are connected in that order. The image input device (scanner) reads an image recorded on an image recording material such as a photographic film, and inputs the image data obtained by reading. The image processing device carries out image processing such as various types of correction and conversion and the like on the image data inputted from the image input device. On the basis of the image data which has been subjected to image processing at the image processing device, the image output device (printer) records an image onto an image recording material such as a photographic printing paper. In this type of image processing system, as compared with a conventional photographic processing system in which a film image recorded on a photographic film is recorded by surface exposure onto a photographic printing paper, the image quality of the output image can be freely controlled by the image processing of the image data, and the image processing at the image processing device can be optimized in accordance with the characteristics of the image input device and the characteristics of the image output device. (For example, in a case in which the color balance of the image expressed by the image data inputted from the image input device is skewed toward a specific color, an image processing for correcting this skewing of the color balance is carried out. As another example, in a case in which the sharpness in a specific direction of the image expressed by the inputted image data is low, an image processing for improving the sharpness in the specific direction is carried out.) Thus, a high-quality output image can be obtained.
However, in the above-described image processing system, if attempts are made to use an image input device or an image output device which are of different types than those that were envisaged for use when the image processing system was designed, the image processing at the image processing device does not consider characteristics of image input devices and image output devices of different types than those envisaged at the time of design. Thus, drawbacks occur such as the image quality of the output image greatly deteriorates. It is difficult to replace the image input device or the image output device of the image processing system with an image input device or an image output device having different characteristics, or to change the structure of the image processing system by additionally connecting an image input device or an image output device having different characteristics. Thus, there is the drawback that the expandability of the system is poor.
Japanese Patent No. 2660170 discloses an image processing system in which plural input devices and plural output devices are connected to a single image processing device. In this system, the image data input from the respective input devices are converted by the image processing device into respective image data of an intermediate image space called a hub. Thereafter, the image data of the intermediate image space are converted (subjected to image processing) in accordance with the type of output device which is being used, and are outputted. However, in this structure, the image processing device always has to carry out conversion twice on the image data inputted from the input devices. Thus, the load on the image processing device is great, and the processing capability of the image processing system is low. Further, when the image data is converted twice, due to effects such the quantization errors being accumulated, the deterioration in image quality become great enough to be detected by the naked eye.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned, an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing system in which high-speed processing and high quality of output images can be realized.
In order to achieve the above object, an image processing system relating to a first aspect of the present invention includes at least one input device which inputs image data and at least one output device which, on the basis of transferred image data for output, carries out image output processing, and the image processing system comprises: storing means for temporarily storing image data; adding means for adding, to image data inputted from an input device, supplementary information including information relating to attributes of the image data; setting means for setting an output device which is to carry out image output processing on the image data; image processing means for carrying out image processing, which corresponds to the attributes of the image data and to the output device which is to carry out image output processing, on at least one of image data temporarily stored in the storing means and image data which is read from the storing means after the supplementary information has been added thereto and the image data has been temporarily stored in the storing means; and transfer means for transferring to the output device, as image data for output, the image data which, after having been temporarily stored in the storing means, was read and for which image processing by the image processing means has been completed.
The image processing system relating to the first aspect of the present invention includes at least one input device and at least one output device. The input device may be, for example, a scanner which reads images recorded on a photographic photosensitive material or some other image recording material and inputs the image data obtained by reading; a data reading device which reads and inputs image data stored on an information storage medium (a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a memory card, an IC card, or the like); a communications control device which receives and inputs image data which has been sent from another information processing equipment connected thereto by a communications line; or the like. The output device may be, for example, a printer which, as the image output processing, records an image onto an image recording material such as a photographic printing paper; a data writing device which, as the image output processing, writes image data onto an information storage medium; an image display device which, as the image output processing, displays an image on a display means such as a display; and a communications control device which, as the image output processing, sends image data to another information processing equipment connected thereto by a communications line.
The invention of the first aspect is provided with an adding means which adds, to the image data inputted from the input device, supplementary information including information relating to the attributes of the image data (i.e., the characteristics or properties of the image data). The information relating to the attributes of the image data may be information expressing the attributes of the image data (e.g., at least one of the color space of the image data, the resolution, the number of bits (the number of bits per pixel or the like), the number of channels, and the like). Or, because the attributes of the image data vary in accordance with the input device, the information relating to the attributes of the image data may be information expressing the type of the input device or the characteristics of the input device. Further, if the type of image processing to be carried out differs in accordance with the attributes of the image data, the information r
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Rogers Scott
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