Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Detail of image placement or content
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-17
2001-08-07
Coles, Edward (Department: 2722)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Detail of image placement or content
C358S001170, C358S001160, C358S296000, C358S438000, C358S448000, C382S296000, C382S297000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06271929
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for rotating a color image by 90° and, in particular, an efficient method for rotating a color image by 90° using temporary files.
2. Description of the Related Art
Color image editing systems typically include a scanner and a computer system which is equipped with document viewing and editing applications for storing and editing inputted document images. Typically, once an image is scanned in, the operator views the image on the display of the computer system and, if necessary, can edit the image by adjusting color, tone, size, image attributes, rotation, etc. Paint Shop® and Microsoft Paint® are examples of these document image editing applications. Once the image has been edited by the operator, a final version of the image can be output using a printer or the like.
Due to the advances in computer technology and printing technology, color image editing systems are being used more and more on desktop computers. However, because desktop computers tend to have limited memory space, image editing and, in particular, color image editing, which uses a large amount of memory space, increases system processing time due to the amount of file-swapping and memory required. This is particularly troublesome when attempting to rotate a color image by 90°. In this regard, to rotate an image by 90°, a color image is conventionally randomly accessed by loading an entire image into a memory such that random access of each pixel can be possible. However, as the image size becomes larger and/or resolution becomes higher, this conventional method does not work efficiently or work at all with limited memory resources.
Attempts have been made to resolve the foregoing problem by using file-swapping methods. However, these methods are disadvantageous in the case when the memory size required to load an entire image into memory is bigger than half the size of the available memory due to an extremely large number of file-swappings which must occur. As a result, the processing time grows exponentially as the image size increases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a method for rotating a color image by defining temporary files for intermediate storage of rotated and non-rotated portions of a color image. Because the color image is divided into portions, it is possible to temporarily store both rotated and non-rotated portions of the color image in an image memory buffer which is smaller than the entire color image. As a result, there is no need to use random access of the input color image, thereby increasing performance and decreasing memory size and costs.
Thus, in one aspect of the present invention, the invention is a method for rotating a color image by using a volatile memory. The method includes the steps of inputting an image, dividing the input image into portions, loading a divided portion of the input image into a volatile memory, and rotating the loaded divided portion of the input image. The rotated divided portion of the input image is output into a corresponding temporary file, and the loading, rotating and outputting steps performed on the divided portions of the input image are repeated until all divided portions of the input image have been processed. The temporary files are divided into portions, and one divided portion from each temporary file is loaded into the volatile memory. The loaded divided portions of the temporary files are then assembled, and the assembled divided portions of the temporary files are output to a destination image. Finally, the loading, assembling and outputting steps performed on the divided portions of the temporary memory files are repeated until all divided portions of the temporary files have been processed.
In the preferred embodiment, the steps of dividing the input image into portions and repeatedly loading a divided portion of the input image into a volatile memory occur coextensively. In other words, the input image is loaded in portions, thereby automatically dividing the input image. Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment, the steps of dividing the temporary files into portions and repeatedly loading one divided portion from each temporary file into the volatile memory occur coextensively. In other words, the temporary files are loaded in portions, thereby automatically dividing the temporary files.
The input image is preferably a color image. The destination image can be output to a file, a printer, a network, or any other desired destination.
In another aspect, the invention is a method for rotating an image. The method includes the steps of inputting an image, allocating an image input buffer, determining a number of times that the image input buffer needs to be refilled in order to load the entire input image, and dividing the input image into portions based on the determination made in the determining step. A number of temporary files to be used for storing the divided portions of the input image is specified, and a divided portion of the input image is read into the image input buffer. The read divided portion of the input image is then rotated, and the rotated divided portion of the input image is written to a corresponding temporary file. The reading, rotating and writing steps performed on the input image are repeated until all portions of the input image have been written into the temporary files. A number of temporary file input buffers is allocated, each temporary file input buffer corresponding to one of the temporary files. An output buffer whose size is the sum of sizes of all temporary file input buffers is allocated, and a portion of each temporary file is read into the corresponding temporary file input buffer. Each temporary file input buffer is copied to a corresponding place in the output buffer, and the output buffer is output to a destination image file. Finally, the reading, copying and outputting steps are repeated until the destination image has been formed.
This brief summary has been provided so that the nature of the invention may be understood quickly. A more complete understanding of the invention can be obtained by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof in connection with the attached drawings.
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“Adobe Photoshop 4.0 User Guide for Macintosh and Windows”, Adobe Systems Inc. 1996, Table of Contents and pp. 185-189.
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Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Coles Edward
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Lamb Twyler
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