Abstract:
A basic image signal processing method is to enable the setting of a printing image to be checked accurately on the monitor without trial printing of the image. In an image processing method of converting image data from a sender into printing image data, image data is received from the sender and print setting information about the image data is received from the sender. On the basis of the print setting information, the image data received is converted into printing image data. Then, the converted printing image data is returned to a device at the sender. When new print setting information is received, the image data received is converted into printing image data again on the basis of the new print setting information. The converted new printing image data is returned to the device at the sender.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus, and more particularly to an image processing method and apparatus which enable the state of the colors of a printing image to be set close to the user&#39;s favorite.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     At the present time, when a personal computer (hereinafter, abbreviated as PC) sends image data to a printer, it sends the data via a printer driver. The printer driver enables the user to set the layout and image quality in outputting images, which makes it possible to output the user&#39;s favorite images.  
         [0005]     In addition, when changing the setting of the image quality on the printer driver, the user can verify on the monitor what the present setting is. On the monitor, the image for verification is shown as a sample image prepared by the printer driver. The user adjusts the colors of the image prepared by the printer driver and sets the hues in printing.  
         [0006]     As described above, when the user changes the setting of the printer driver, the state of the setting is reflected in the sample image prepared by the printer driver. The sample image is displayed on the monitor, which enables the user to verify the state of the setting.  
         [0007]     However, the verified image on the monitor the user is looking at is just the sample image prepared by the printer driver. Therefore, the image actually output on the printer does not necessarily coincide with the setting screen the user is verifying on the monitor. This means that it is difficult to predict the result of the final output of the image. Actually, the user performs verification, looking at the printed-out image.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     An object of the embodiments is to provide an image signal processing method and apparatus which enable the setting of a printing image to be verified more accurately on the monitor without trial printing of the image. This alleviates the trouble of printing an unintended image and reprinting the intended one.  
         [0009]     Furthermore, since the image displayed on the printer driver is a printing image, the user can verify a concrete print image. Being able to verify a printing image beforehand, the user can reduce the possibility of a print failure, which makes the apparatus a user-friendly printing unit.  
         [0010]     According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an image processing method of converting image data from a sender into printing image data, the image processing method comprising: receiving image data from the sender; receiving print setting information about the image data from the sender; converting the image data received into printing image data on the basis of the print setting information; returning the converted printing image data to a device at the sender; when receiving new print setting information, converting the image data received into printing image data again on the basis of the new print setting information; and returning the converted new printing image data to the device at the sender.  
         [0011]     According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus which converts image data from a device at a sender into printing image data, the image processing apparatus comprising: means for receiving image data from the sender; means for receiving print setting information about the image data from the sender; means for converting the image data received into printing image data on the basis of the print setting information; means for returning the converted printing image data to a device at the sender; means for, when receiving new print setting information, converting the image data received into printing image data again on the basis of the new print setting information; and means for returning the converted new printing image data to the device at the sender.  
         [0012]     Additional objects and advantages of the embodiments will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0013]     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a diagram to help explain a state of the connection between a printing unit and a personal computer to which the present invention has been applied;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a diagram to help explain an example of the monitor screen on the personal computer side of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart for the operation procedure to help explain an example of the operation of the apparatus according to the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart to help explain more concretely an operation executed at the printing unit; and  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is a diagram to help explain more concretely the inside of the image processing section of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     Hereinafter, referring to the accompanying drawings, an embodiment of the present invention will be explained.  
         [0020]      FIG. 1  shows a state of the connection between a printing unit and a personal computer to which the present invention has been applied. Although in  FIG. 1 , a printing unit  200  functions as an image forming apparatus, a copying machine may be used as the image forming apparatus.  
         [0021]     An operation section  102  including a keyboard can be connected via an interface  101  to a personal computer (hereinafter, just referred to as PC)  100 . The operation section  102  is assumed to include a mouse. Further to the PC  100 , a monitor  104 , such as a liquid-crystal display, can be connected via an interface  103 .  
         [0022]     Still further to the PC  100 , for example, the printing unit  200  can be connected via an interface  105 .  
         [0023]     When printing image data is sent to the printing unit  200 , its setting data is also sent. The setting data is created at a printer driver  111  in the PC  100  according to the operation on the operation section  102 . The printer driver  111  includes a setting section  122  for performing image-quality setting, layout setting, and processing range setting. It further includes a setting reflecting section  123 , a setting reflected image data output section  124 , and a monitor and printer color reproduction correcting section  125 .  
         [0024]     On the other hand, on the basis of the setting data taken in via the interface  202 , the printing unit  200  causes an image processing section  211  to process the image data taken in via the interface  202 . The taken-in image data is input to, for example, a color converting section in the image processing section  211 . The color converting section converts image data into image data C, M, Y, K suitable for printing and outputs the resulting data. The image data C, M, Y, K from the color converting section are subjected to the limitation of the amount of toner adhesion at an amount-of-toner-adhesion limiting circuit. The resulting data are input to a gradating section. The gradated image data C, M, Y, K are output via a printer engine to a print section  213 . These image processes are carried out by executing image processing software  212  in harmony with hardware.  
         [0025]     Here, in the system, the image data C, M, Y, K subjected to image processing in the printing unit  200  are returned to the PC  100  again.  
         [0026]     The PC  100  takes in the returned image data C, M, Y, K and processes the returned image data into the layout state and setting state on the basis of the setting data. These processes are carried out by the setting reflecting section  123 .  
         [0027]     Furthermore, using the profile information sent from the printing unit  200  and the monitor-side profile information, color conversion of the image data is performed so that the display colors on the monitor side correspond to the colors to be printed out. That is, the returned image data C, M, Y, K are inversely converted into image data R, G, B. This converting process is performed by the monitor and printer color reproduction correcting section  125 .  
         [0028]     The setting is reflected in the returned image data, which is then corrected in color reproduction. The resulting data is stored temporarily as the setting-reflected image data in the setting-reflected image data output section  124  and is output to the monitor  104 .  
         [0029]     As a result, looking at the screen of the monitor  104 , the user can verify in what state the image data set for printing are to be printed.  
         [0030]      FIG. 2  shows an example of the screen of the monitor  104 . On the screen, a monitoring page  401  related to image quality is shown. In this state, item  411  for setting kinds of document to be printed, item  412  for setting halftone, and the like are displayed. In addition, a preview  413  of an image to be printed can be given. When hues or the like are set, its setting-reflected area can be determined. To determine a setting-reflected area, for example, a setting-reflected area determining item  415  is clicked with the cursor. Then, for example, a frame  416  appears. The frame  416  is enlarged, reduced, and moved so as to enclose the desired area, thereby determining a setting-reflected area.  
         [0031]     When the setting-reflected area is determined this way, the processing of the printing image data in the printing unit  200  is narrowed down (or limited) to the data in the determined area. As a result, the burden of data processing on the printing unit  200  is alleviated. Specifically, the burden of the changing time (or simulation time), transfer time, and the like of the parameter of the image data is alleviated according to the setting information. Furthermore, when the personal computer  100  converts the data sent back from the printing unit  200  into image data for the monitor, the burden of the processing is also alleviated.  
         [0032]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart to help explain the operation of the above-mentioned apparatus. When the personal computer  100  starts to change the driver setting (step S 1 ), a setting screen as shown in  FIG. 2  is displayed on the monitor  104 . When the user adjusts image quality and related items, looking at the screen of the monitor  104 , the user clicks related items, thereby determining the contents of the setting (step S 2 ).  
         [0033]     When the driver setting has been changed, the setting information is transmitted by way of step S 3  to the printing unit  200  side (step S 4 ). On the printing unit  200  side, the process of converting into printing images on the basis of the setting information is carried out (step S 5 ). Then, the image data after the conversion is stored temporarily and then is sent back to the personal computer side (step S 6 ). The image data from the printing unit  200  is converted into image data for the monitor at the personal computer  100 . Moreover, the image data is converted so as to meet the set layout. In addition, the monitor display colors are matched with the colors in printing. The converted image data is reflected in what the result of printing looks like on the screen of the monitor  104  and is displayed there (step S 8 ). Whether the setting has been completed is determined (step S 10 ). If the setting has been completed, the driver setting operation is ended and a print instruction is waited for.  
         [0034]     Whether the personal computer  100  has received the profile information from the printing unit  200  is determined in step S 3 . If the profile information has been received, a color converting process is carried out in step S 9 , using the monitor-side profile information and the printing unit-side profile information. In the color converting process, conversion is performed in such a manner that the colors of the image printed on the printing unit  200  side are faithfully reproduced on the monitor. Specifically, the CMYK image data on the printing unit  200  side are inversely converted into RGB image data. At this time, since the printing unit carries out a unique adjusting process for printing, such as additional adjustment of black (K) data, further adjustments of hues, sharpness processing, and the like, these adjustment factors are removed or disabled. Then, the RGB image data are converted into image data for the monitor.  
         [0035]     As a result, the image displayed on the monitor has an image quality closest to an image to be printed on the printing unit. Therefore, since the actually printed image coincides with the image appearing on the monitor, the user can secure the system reliability and the adjustment reliability.  
         [0036]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart for an image data process carried out on the printing unit  200  side when the printing unit receives the image data and image-quality setting information from the personal computer  100 .  
         [0037]     If the taken-in information is the setting information (step SB 2 ), the conversion parameters of the image data are adjusted (step SB 4 ) and stored in a parameter holding section. If the taken-in information is the image data (step SB 3 ), the image data is processed (step SB 6 ) using the conversion parameters (step SB 5 ). In this process, the RGB image data is converted into CMYK image data. In addition, to limit the amount of toner adhesion, the CMYK image data is subjected to the limitation of the amount of toner adhesion and then to a halftone process for printing. Next, in step SB 7 , it is determined whether the setting has been completed. If the setting has been completed, the image data is sent to a print output section (step SB 7 ) and acts as, for example, a laser beam driving signal for the printer.  
         [0038]     If the setting has not been completed in step SB 7 , the CMYK image data is transferred to the personal computer  100  side.  
         [0039]     As described above, with the apparatus and method according to the present invention, the trouble of printing an unintended image and reprinting the intended one is alleviated. Moreover, since the image displayed on the monitor is a printing image, the user can verify a concrete print image. Being able to verify a printing image beforehand, the user can reduce the possibility of a print failure, which makes the apparatus a user-friendly printing unit.  
         [0040]      FIG. 5  shows concretely the internal configuration of the image processing section  211  of  FIG. 1 . The transmission data (image data and print setting information) from the personal computer  100  are received via an interface by a multivalued image data and setting information receiving section  501 . Any system may be used as the transmission and reception system. The multivalued image data (RGB image data) are input to a color converting section  502 , which converts the data into printing image data (CMYK image data). The color converting section  502  sets a conversion gain or a conversion table according to a parameter from a memory  512 . The parameter is selected and changed under the control of a control section  511 . The CMYK image data output from the color converting section  502  are subjected to the limitation of the amount of toner adhesion at an amount-of-toner limiting section  503 . The limitation of the amount of toner adhesion is a process unique to the printing process. In this process, the image data is converted into the amount of toner adhesion.  
         [0041]     At this time, the control section  511  takes in information about the limited amount. The limited amount information is information that indicates how much the image data has been limited. It may be transferred together with profile information to the personal computer  100 .  
         [0042]     The CMYK image data output from the amount-of-toner limiting section  503  is subjected to data conversion at a halftone processing section  504  so as to obtain gradation in printing. The resulting data is supplied to the print section  213 . When a print instruction is given, the print section  213  supplies the image data for each input color to a laser beam output section provided for each color.  
         [0043]     The CMYK image data output from the halftone processing section  504  or amount-of-toner limiting section  503  is input to an image data returning section  505 . Then, under the control of the control section  511 , the CMYK image data is transferred via a transmission section  505  to the microcomputer  100 .  
         [0044]     Furthermore, the profile information for the printer  211  is transferred via the transmission section  505  to the personal computer  100 . In this case, information unique to the printing unit, such as the limited amount information in limiting the amount of toner and the address of the image subjected to the limitation, may be returned. Furthermore, the CMYK image data to be returned may be the output of the amount-of-toner limiting section  503  or the output of the halftone processing section  504 .  
         [0045]     This invention is not limited to the above embodiments and may be practiced or embodied in still other ways without departing from the spirit or essential character thereof. In addition, various inventions may be configured by suitably combining a plurality of component elements disclosed in the embodiments. For instance, some component elements may be eliminated from all of the component elements shown in each of the embodiments. Furthermore, the component elements related to different embodiments may be combined.  
         [0046]     Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.