Multi-function peripheral including handwriting mode and processing method thereof

Abstract

A multi-function peripheral includes a touch panel monitor. The touch panel monitor includes a display panel and a touch panel overlaid on the display panel. In a handwriting mode, an intermediate image corresponding to an original image is displayed on the display panel. When touch input to the touch panel is detected in this state, a touch image based on the touch input is superimposed on the original image, and a new image is generated.

Claims

1. A multi-function peripheral comprising a touch panel monitor including a display panel and a touch panel overlaid on the display panel, wherein, in a handwriting mode, an intermediate image corresponding to a display area which is a part, or an entirety of an original image generated by scanning an original document is displayed on the display panel, the intermediate image is generated by scaling the displayed original image X1/X2 times where X1 is a horizontal resolution of the displayed original image, and X2 is a horizontal resolution of the display panel, and when touch input of a user to the touch panel is detected, a touch image based on the touch input is generated, and the touch image is superimposed on the display area of the original image to generate a first new image, an overlay image is generated by scaling the touch image X1/X3 times where X1 is the horizontal resolution of the displayed original image, and X3 is a horizontal resolution of the tough image, the overlay image is superimposed on the displayed original image for printing or faxing the generated first new image, and wherein, in a stamp mode, when touch input of the user to the touch panel is detected in the state where the intermediate image is displayed on the display panel, a second new image is generated by superimposing a stamp image on a portion corresponding to the touch input of the original image.

2. The multi-function peripheral according to claim 1, wherein a magnification at time of displaying the intermediate image on the display panel can be changed.

3. A processing method of a multi-function peripheral, the multi-function peripheral including a touch panel monitor including a display panel and a touch panel overlaid on the display panel, the processing method comprising: displaying, on the display panel, an intermediate image corresponding to a display area which is a part or an entirety of an original image generated by scanning an original document in a handwriting mode, generating the intermediate image by scaling the displayed original image X1/X2 times where X1 is a horizontal resolution of the displayed original image, and X2 is a horizontal resolution of the display panel, and monitoring touch input to the touch panels and generating a touch image based on touch input when the touch input of a user to the touch panel is detected; and generating a first new image by superimposing the touch image on the displayed original image, wherein an overlay image is generated by scaling the touch image X1/X3 times where X1 is the horizontal resolution of the displayed original image, and X3 is a horizontal resolution of the tough image, the overlay image is superimposed on the displayed original image, and wherein, in a stamp mode, when touch input of the user to the touch panel is detected in the state where the intermediate image is displayed on the display panel, a second new image is generated by superimposing a stamp image on a portion corresponding to the touch input of the original image.

4. The processing method according to claim 3, further comprising printing the new image.

5. The processing method according to claim 3, further comprising faxing the new image to a designated destination.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings which are meant to be exemplary, not limiting, and wherein like elements are numbered alike in several Figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a multi-function peripheral according to an embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the multi-function peripheral;

(4) FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are diagrams to describe a handwriting mode;

(5) FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are diagrams to describe generation of a touch image;

(6) FIG. 5 is a diagram to describe generation of an original image, a touch image, and a new image;

(7) FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are diagrams each illustrating an exemplary superposition of a touch image on an original image;

(8) FIG. 7 is a flowchart in the handwriting mode; and

(9) FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are diagrams to describe a stamp mode.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) The invention will now be described based on preferred embodiments which do not intend to limit the scope of the present invention but exemplify the invention. All of the features and the combinations thereof described in the embodiment are not necessarily essential to the invention.

(11) In the present specification, a state represented by “a member A is coupled to a member B” includes not only a case where the member A is physically directly coupled to the member B but also a case where the member A and member B are indirectly coupled via another member that does not substantially affect an electric connection state therebetween or does not impair functions and effects provided by coupling the members.

(12) Similarly, a state represented by “a member C is provided between the member A and the member B” includes not only a case where the member A is directly coupled to the member C or the member B is directly coupled to the member C but also a case where the member A is indirectly coupled to the member C or the member B is indirectly coupled to the member C via another member that does not substantially affect an electric connection state therebetween and does not impair functions and effects provided by coupling the members.

(13) FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a multi-function peripheral 100 according to an embodiment. The multi-function peripheral 100 includes functions of a printer, a copier, and a scanner. The multi-function peripheral 100 may further include a facsimile function. The multi-function peripheral 100 includes a touch panel monitor 110, a scanner unit 120, a sheet ejection tray 130, and a sheet feeding tray 140. A printing unit is built inside the multi-function peripheral 100.

(14) The scanner unit 120 digitizes an image written on a sheet (not illustrated). In a scanner mode, the digitized image data is stored in a memory. In a printer mode or a facsimile mode, the digitized image data is used for printing or transmission.

(15) In a copy mode or the printer mode, a sheet is fed from the sheet feeding tray 140 to the printing unit. The printing unit prints an image corresponding to electronic data on the sheet. The electronic data in the copy mode is data read by the scanner unit 120. The electronic data in the printer mode is supplied from an external computer or read from a data storage medium (external memory) such as an SD card (not illustrated). The printing unit may employ a laser system or an inkjet system. The printed sheet is ejected from the sheet ejection tray 130.

(16) The touch panel monitor 110 is provided as a user interface. Touch panel monitor 110 includes a display panel and a touch panel. The display panel is a liquid crystal panel or an organic electro luminescence (EL) panel and can present various graphic information and various character information. The touch panel is provided in a manner overlaid on the display panel. For the touch panel, a resistance type or a capacitance type can be used.

(17) Normally, the touch panel monitor 110 displays various graphic information, various text information, and the like, and also displays buttons and the like. Additionally, a function as an image input device is provided in a handwriting mode described later.

(18) The entire configuration of the multi-function peripheral 100 is as described above. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a multi-function peripheral 200. The multi-function peripheral 200 includes a touch panel monitor 210, a master controller 230, a scanner unit 240, a printer unit 250, a facsimile unit 260, and an interface unit 270.

(19) The master controller 230 is a processor that integrally controls the entire multi-function peripheral 200 and includes a central processing unit (CPU) or a microcomputer. The scanner unit 240 converts image information printed on a sheet into electronic data. The printer unit 250 prints, on a sheet, image data supplied from the master controller 230. The facsimile unit 260 transmits, via a telephone line, the image data supplied from the master controller 230. The interface unit 270 includes the Ethernet (registered trademark), a universal serial bus (USB), and the like, and transmits/receives various kinds of data to/from the outside. In the multi-function peripheral including the facsimile function, the interface unit 270 includes an interface with the telephone line.

(20) The touch panel monitor 210 includes a display panel 212 and a touch panel 220 as described above. The touch panel monitor 210 displays, on the display panel 212, image data S.sub.1 transmitted from master controller 230. Additionally, the touch panel monitor 210 detects touch input to the touch panel 220 and transmits data S.sub.2 indicating the detection result to the master controller 230.

(21) The touch panel monitor 210 includes a display driver 214, a timing controller 216, and a touch controller 222 in addition to the display panel 212 and the touch panel 220.

(22) The timing controller 218 receives the image data S.sub.1 from the master controller 230.

(23) The display driver 214 includes a gate driver and a source driver and drives the display panel 212 on the basis of the image data S.sub.1 received by the timing controller 216.

(24) The touch controller 222 is coupled to the touch panel 220 and detects touch input to the touch panel 220. The touch controller 222 generates the data S.sub.2 including touched coordinates or a correlation with the coordinates. In the present embodiment, the touch panel 220 employs the resistance type, and touch controller 222 measures voltage (or electric current) generated at the touch panel 220. The data S.sub.2 may indicate resistance.

(25) The entire configuration of the multi-function peripheral 200 is as described above. The multi-function peripheral 200 supports the handwriting mode. FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams to describe the handwriting mode. In the handwriting mode, touch input to the touch panel 220 is monitored in a state where an intermediate image IMG.sub.2 corresponding to an original image IMG.sub.1 is displayed on the display panel 212. The number of pixels (resolution) of the intermediate image IMG.sub.2 conforms to the number of pixels of the display panel 212 and has nothing to do with the number of pixels of the original image IMG.sub.1. The intermediate image IMG.sub.2 is an entire part or a part of the original image IMG.sub.1, and the intermediate image IMG.sub.2 is generated by appropriately trimming and scaling the original image IMG.sub.1. A user can select a range of the original image IMG.sub.1 to be displayed on the display panel 212.

(26) Then, when touch input is detected, a touch image IMG.sub.3 based on the touch input is generated. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 3B, a new image IMG.sub.4 is generated by superimposing the touch image IMG.sub.3 on the original image IMG.sub.1.

(27) FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are diagrams to describe generation of a touch image IMG.sub.3. A colored portion indicates a portion that has been touched with a finger or a stylus pen. As illustrated in FIG. 4A, when only one point is touched, a pixel corresponding to the point is colored. In a case where the finger is made to slide as illustrated in FIG. 4B, a continuous straight line or curve can be drawn.

(28) Next, generation of an original image IMG.sub.1, a touch image IMG.sub.3, and a new image IMG.sub.4 will be described in detail. FIG. 5 is a diagram to describe generation of the original image IMG.sub.1, the touch image IMG.sub.3, and the new image IMG.sub.4. Here, the image processing will be described while focusing only on the number of pixels (or resolution) in a horizontal direction of each image.

(29) The number of pixels in the horizontal direction of the original image IMG.sub.1 is defined as X.sub.1. In a case where the original image IMG.sub.1 is an image captured by the scanner unit, the number of pixels X.sub.1 is proportional to a lateral size of the scanned image and a resolution (dot per inch: dpi) thereof. For example, when a lateral length of the scanned image is 5 inches and the resolution is 200 dpi, the number of pixels X.sub.1 is 1000 pixels. In a case of increasing the resolution to 300 dpi, the number of pixels X.sub.1 will be 1500 pixels.

(30) In the handwriting mode, an image IMG.sub.1′ (referred to as a display image) that is an area (display area) of a part or an entire part of the original image IMG.sub.1 is displayed on the display panel 212. The intermediate image IMG.sub.2 is generated by appropriately scaling the display image IMG.sub.1′. The number of pixels of the display image IMG.sub.1′ is defined as X.sub.1′. The number of pixels X.sub.2 of the intermediate image IMG.sub.2 conforms to a horizontal resolution of the display panel 212. For example, when X.sub.2=640 pixels and the number of pixels X.sub.1′ of the display image IMG.sub.1′ is 640 pixels, the intermediate image IMG.sub.2 coincides with the display image IMG.sub.1′. For example, when X.sub.2=640 pixels and the number of pixels X.sub.1′ of the display image IMG.sub.1′ is 320 pixels, the intermediate image IMG.sub.2 is an image obtained by converting the resolution of the display image IMG.sub.1′ twice. For example, when X.sub.2=640 pixels and the number of pixels X.sub.1′ of the display image IMG.sub.1′ is 1280 pixels, the intermediate image IMG.sub.2 is an image obtained by converting the resolution of the display image IMG.sub.1′ ½ times.

(31) A horizontal resolution X.sub.3 of the touch image IMG.sub.3 coincides with a horizontal resolution (resolution capability) of the touch panel 220. In a case where the touch panel 220 has the resolution capability of 10 bits in the horizontal direction, the horizontal resolution results in X.sub.3=2.sup.10=1024.

(32) The touch image IMG.sub.3 is superimposed on the area corresponding to the display image IMG.sub.1′. In a case where the resolution of the touch image IMG.sub.3 differs from the resolution of the display image IMG.sub.1′, the touch image IMG.sub.3 is scaled to the overlay image IMG.sub.3′ that has the resolution same as the resolution of the display image IMG.sub.1′, and then superimposed on the original image IMG.sub.1. The superposition may also be performed by pixel replacement or by a blending.

(33) For example, when X.sub.3=1024 pixels and the number of pixels X.sub.1′ of the display image IMG.sub.1′ is 320 pixels, the overlay image IMG.sub.3′ is generated by downscaling the touch image IMG.sub.3 320/1024 times.

(34) When X.sub.3=1024 pixels and X.sub.1′=640 pixels, the overlay image IMG.sub.3′ is generated by downscaling the touch image IMG.sub.3 640/1024 times.

(35) When X.sub.3=1024 pixels and X.sub.1′=1280 pixels, the overlay image IMG.sub.3′ is generated by upscaling the touch image IMG.sub.3 1280/1024 times.

(36) FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are diagrams each illustrating an exemplary superposition of a touch image IMG.sub.3 on an original image IMG.sub.1. FIG. 6A illustrates a case where a resolution X.sub.1′ of a display area of the original image IMG.sub.1 is lower than a resolution X.sub.3 of the touch image IMG.sub.3. An overlay image IMG.sub.3′ is generated by downscaling the touch image IMG.sub.3. ON/OFF of respective pixels of the overlay image IMG.sub.3′ may be calculated in accordance with the number of a plurality of pixels (ratio) that is turned ON in the touch image IMG.sub.3 included therein. The wording “a pixel is turned ON” indicates that there is valid input in the pixel. In this example, one pixel P of the overlay image IMG.sub.3′ includes nine pixels Q of the touch image IMG.sub.3. When a ratio of the pixels Q that are turned ON exceeds a threshold value, the pixel P may be turned ON. FIG. 6B illustrates overlay images IMG.sub.3′ generated under conditions of different threshold values.

(37) FIG. 7 is a flowchart in the handwriting mode. Here, copying is exemplified. First, an original document is scanned (S100) and an original image IMG.sub.1 is generated (S102). Subsequently, a part or an entire part of the original image IMG.sub.1 is designated as a display range (S104). An intermediate image IMG.sub.2 corresponding to the selected part IMG.sub.1′ is displayed on the display panel 212 (S106). In this state, touch input to the touch panel 220 is monitored (S108). When touch input is detected (Y in S108), a touch image IMG.sub.3 corresponding to the touch input is generated (S110). This touch image IMG.sub.3 is converted into an overlay image IMG.sub.3′ (S112). Then, the overlay image IMG.sub.3′ is superimposed on the original image IMG.sub.1, and a new image IMG.sub.4 is generated (S114). Then, the new image IMG.sub.4 is printed (S116).

(38) The handwriting mode is as described above. Subsequently, the stamp mode will be described.

(39) The multi-function peripheral 100 may support the stamp mode in addition to or instead of the handwriting mode. FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams to describe the stamp mode. In the stamp mode, when touch input to the touch panel 220 is detected in a state where an intermediate image IMG.sub.2 corresponding to an original image IMG.sub.1 is displayed on the display panel 212, a stamp image IMG.sub.5 is superimposed on a portion (coordinates and/or a range) corresponding to the touch input of the original image IMG.sub.1, and a new image IMG.sub.4 is generated. Here, character information “CONFIDENTIAL” is exemplified as the stamp image IMG.sub.5, but the stamp image IMG.sub.5 is not particularly limited.

(40) While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.