IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD ACCORDING TO SHEET SCANNING SYSTEM

Abstract

It is an object to provide image processing apparatus and method which can execute a drawing combining instruction and a trimming instruction of illustration/characters or the like on the basis of a disclosure on one sheet in a composite print of a sheet scanning system. When a trimming instruction command is issued, an image process for trimming is executed to a given one of closed areas detected from a drawing instructing area on the sheet. Another image process for a combining process of characters/illustration is executed to the other closed areas.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views showing schematic external views of an image processing apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as an “MFP”) 100 of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a construction of the MFP 100.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of the operation of an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an outline of the whole processing steps in a range from the start of a process of a sheet scan composite print to the end of the process.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for making a composite print instruction sheet.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the contents of a composite print instruction sheet SH1 which is printed by the MFP 100.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing outlines of a fill-in example in which the composite print instruction sheet is filled in a composite print instruction sheet SH2 where the trimming is not instructed and an output result of such a sheet.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing outlines of a fill-in example in which the composite print instruction sheet is filled in a composite print instruction sheet SH3 where the trimming has been instructed and an output result of such a sheet.

FIG. 9 is a whole flowchart showing a series of processing procedures in a range from an analysis of the composite print instruction sheet SH3 to its composite print.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process for assigning an attribute to a closed area in a composition instructing field 43.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are schematic diagrams showing functions of mask data.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the detailed operation for producing the mask data.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing processes in which closed areas are detected from the composition instructing field 43 and the mask data is produced, in the state where the trimming has been instructed in accordance with assigning the attribute shown in FIG. 10 and producing the mask data producing operation shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically showing the assigning an attribute of the detected closed areas.

FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically showing the mask data creation.

FIG. 16 is a diagram schematically showing a result of the composite print of each layout.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus in which a given image and an image which has been handwritten into an area for handwriting an image on a sheet having said area are combined by reading said sheet, comprising: reading means which reads said sheet;analyzing means which analyzes the sheet read by said reading means;detecting means which detects closed areas in the image handwritten in said area after the sheet was analyzed by said analyzing means;image processing means which executes an image process to portions showing the closed areas detected by said detecting means in said handwritten image;combining means which combines said given image and the handwritten image obtained after the image process was executed by said image processing means; andprinting means which prints an image combined by said combining means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image processing means executes a masking process.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image processing means executes a trimming process.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image processing means executes an image process according to a predetermined condition corresponding to the portions showing the closed areas detected by said detecting means.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said image processing means executes an image process according to the presence or absence of a trimming instruction.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after said image processing means executed a trimming process and a masking process, said combining means combines said given image and the handwritten image obtained after the image process was executed by said image processing means.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said image processing means executes different image processes between the closed area which is a trimming object and the closed area which is not the trimming object.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said image processing means executes an image process corresponding to a layout instruction to the closed area which is not the trimming object.

9. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said analyzing means analyzes the presence or absence of a trimming instruction or a layout instruction on the sheet.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising storing means which stores a given image, and wherein said given image is either the image read by said reading means or the image stored in said storing means.

11. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said image processing means executes the trimming process to the closed area having the largest area among the closed areas detected by said detecting means.

12. A control method for an image processing apparatus in which a given image and an image which has been handwritten into an area for handwriting an image on a sheet having said area are combined by reading said sheet, comprising: a reading step of reading said sheet;an analyzing step of analyzing the sheet read in said reading step;a detecting step of detecting closed areas in the image handwritten in said area after the sheet was analyzed in said analyzing step;an image processing step of executing an image process to portions showing the closed areas detected in said detecting step in said handwritten image;a combining step of combining said given image and the handwritten image obtained after the image process was executed in said image processing step; anda printing step of printing an image combined in said combining step.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein in said image processing step, a masking process is executed.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein in said image processing step, a trimming process is executed.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein in said image processing step, an image process according to a predetermined condition corresponding to the portions showing the closed areas detected in said detecting step is executed.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein in said image processing step, executes an image process according to the presence or absence of a trimming instruction is executed.

17. A method according to claim 12, wherein after a trimming process and a masking process were executed in said image processing step, said given image and the handwritten image obtained after the image process was executed in said image processing step are combined in said combining step.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein in said image processing step, different image processes are executed between the closed area which is a trimming object and the closed area which is not the trimming object.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein in said image processing step, an image process corresponding to a layout instruction is executed to the closed area which is not the trimming object.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein in said analyzing step, analyzes the presence or absence of said trimming instruction or said layout instruction on the sheet is analyzed.

21. A method according to claim 12, further comprising a storing step of storing said given image, and wherein said given image is either the image read in said reading step or the image stored in said storing step.

22. A method according to claim 14, wherein in said image processing step, the trimming process is executed to the closed area having the largest area among the closed areas detected in said detecting step.