Title: Image processing for display of off-screen data
Abstract: Conventionally, in displaying a document on a display, the document is displayed on the display after an image of the document is drawn off-screen once. Thus, it may take long until the image of the document can be checked when it is drawn for the first time. In an image processing apparatus of this invention, every time a predetermined number of drawing elements among drawing elements included in document data are developed off-screen, it is checked whether or not the developed off-screen drawing elements satisfy intermediate drawing conditions and, when it is determined that the intermediate drawing conditions are satisfied, the developed off-screen drawing elements are drawn on the display.
Patent Number: 6,985,154 Issued on 01/10/2006 to Nakatsuka
| Inventors:
|
Nakatsuka; Tadanori (Kanagawa, JP)
|
| Assignee:
|
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo, JP)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
409191 |
| Filed:
|
April 9, 2003 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Apr 19, 2002[JP] | 2002-117699 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
345/548; 345/547; 345/418; 382/173; 715/764; 715/781 |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
G09G 5/36 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
345/548,418,440,545-547
382/173
715/764,781
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Tung; Kee M.
Assistant Examiner: Monestime; Mackly
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
off-screen development means for developing drawing elements of document data
in an off-screen;
display drawing means for performing control to draw the drawing elements developed
in the off-screen on a display; and
intermediate drawing check means for, every time a predetermined number of drawing
elements among the drawing elements are developed in the off-screen by said off-screen
development means, checking whether or not the drawing elements developed in the
off-screen satisfy predetermined intermediate drawing conditions and, when it is
determined that the predetermined intermediate drawing conditions are satisfied,
controlling said display drawing means to draw the drawing elements developed in
the off-screen on the display.
2. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if it is determined
that all drawing elements of the document data are developed in the off-screen,
said intermediate drawing check means controls said display drawing means to draw
the drawing elements developed in the off-screen on the display.
3. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate
drawing conditions are conditions which are set using at least one of a number
of times of appearance, a length, and a size of a drawing element, the drawing
element being a character, a line-drawing, or an image.
4. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate
drawing conditions are adjusted based on at least one of an OS of the image processing
apparatus and CPU clock of the image processing apparatus.
5. An image processing method comprising:
an off-screen development step of developing drawing elements of a document data
in an off-screen;
a display drawing step of performing control to draw the drawing elements developed
in the off-screen on a display; and
an intermediate drawing check step of, every time a predetermined number of drawing
elements among the drawing elements are developed in the off-screen at said off-screen
development step, checking whether or not the drawing elements developed in the
off-screen satisfy predetermined intermediate drawing conditions and, when it is
determined that the predetermined intermediate drawing conditions are satisfied,
controlling execution of said display drawing step to draw the drawing elements
developed in the off-screen on the display.
6. An image processing method according to claim 5, wherein, if it is determined
that all drawing elements of the document data are developed off-screen, said intermediate
drawing check step includes controlling execution of said display drawing step
to draw the drawing elements developed in the off-screen on the display.
7. An image processing method according to claim 5, wherein the intermediate
drawing conditions are conditions which are set using at least one of a number
of times of appearance, a length, and a size of a drawing element, the drawing
element being a character, a line-drawing, or an image.
8. An image processing method according to claim 5, wherein the intermediate
drawing conditions are adjusted based on at least one of an OS in the image processing
method and CPU clock in the image processing method.
9. A computer program executable by a computer for processing an image in an
information processing apparatus, comprising a program code causing the computer
to execute:
an off-screen development step of developing drawing elements of document data
in an off-screen;
a display drawing step of performing control to draw the drawing elements developed
in the off-screen on a display; and
an intermediate drawing check step of, every time a predetermined number of drawing
elements among the drawing elements are developed in the off-screen at said off-screen
development step, checking whether or not the drawing elements developed off-screen
satisfy predetermined intermediate drawing conditions and, when it is determined
that the predetermined intermediate drawing conditions are satisfied, controlling
execution of said display drawing step to draw the drawing elements developed in
the off-screen on the display.
10. A computer program according to claim 9, wherein, if it is determined that
all drawing elements of the document data are developed off-screen, said intermediate
drawing check step includes controlling execution of said display drawing means
to draw the drawing elements developed in the off-screen on the display.
11. A computer program according to claim 9, wherein the intermediate drawing
conditions are conditions which are set using at least one of a number of times
of appearance, a length, and a size of a drawing element, the drawing element being
a character, a line-drawing, or an image.
12. A computer program according to claim 9, wherein the intermediate drawing
conditions are adjusted based on at least one of an OS in the image processing
method and CPU clock in the image processing method.
13. A storage medium which stores a computer program executable by a computer
for processing an image in an image processing apparatus, the computer program
comprising a program code for causing the computer to execute:
an off-screen development step of developing drawing elements of document data
in an off-screen;
a display drawing step of performing control to draw the drawing elements developed
in the off-screen on a display; and
an intermediate drawing check step of, every time a predetermined number of drawing
elements among the drawing elements are developed in the off-screen at said off-screen
development step, checking whether or not the drawing elements developed in the
off-screen drawing elements satisfy predetermined intermediate drawing conditions
and, when it is determined that the predetermined intermediate drawing conditions
are satisfied, controlling execution of said display drawing step to draw the drawing
elements developed in the off-screen on the display.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image processing in displaying a document image.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, in display control for displaying documents prepared
by various applications on a screen, in the case where scroll of a displayed part
on a screen or re-drawing of a part hidden behind another window is performed,
off-screen images (images prepared by developing drawing elements off-screen (on
a virtual screen), are stored in an internal memory (off-screen buffer for storing
off-screen data) in order to perform drawing quickly.
However, in the conventional system, since no off-screen image is stored
in the internal memory (off-screen buffer) when drawing is performed for the first
time, an overall off-screen image is created first and then transferred onto the
screen (on-screen) to perform drawing. Thus, there is a problem in that, for example,
a user cannot check the image until the overall off-screen image is created, and
particularly when working on a document requiring longer time for drawing, the
user becomes displeased and wonders if the application has become hung-up or frozen.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, an image processing apparatus
according
to an aspect of the present invention includes:
off-screen development means for developing drawing elements included
in document data off-screen;
display drawing means for performing control to draw a developed off-screen
drawing element on a display; and
intermediate drawing check means for, every time a predetermined number
of drawing elements among the drawing elements are developed by the off-screen
development means, checking whether or not the developed off-screen drawing elements
satisfy predetermined intermediate drawing conditions and, when it is determined
that the predetermined intermediate drawing conditions are satisfied, controlling
the display drawing means to draw the developed off-screen drawing elements on
the display.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, an image processing method according
to another aspect of the present invention includes:
an off-screen development step of developing drawing elements included in document
data off-screen;
display drawing steps which performs control to draw a developed off-screen
drawing element on a display; and
an intermediate drawing check step of, every time a predetermined number of drawing
elements among the drawing elements are developed by the off-screen development
step, checking whether or not the developed off-screen drawing elements satisfy
predetermined intermediate drawing conditions and, when it is determined that the
predetermined intermediate drawing conditions are satisfied, controlling the display
drawing step to draw the developed off-screen drawing elements on the display.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, according to another aspect of
the present invention, a computer program executable by a computer for processing
an image in an information processing apparatus includes a problem code for causing
the computer to execute:
an off-screen development step of developing drawing elements included in document
data off-screen;
a display drawing step of performing control to draw the developed off-screen
drawing
element on a display; and
an intermediate drawing check step of, every time a predetermined number of drawing
elements among the drawing elements are developed by the off-screen development
step, checking whether or not the developed off-screen drawing elements satisfy
predetermined intermediate drawing conditions and, when it is determined that the
predetermined intermediate drawing conditions are satisfied, controlling the display
drawing step to draw the developed off-screen drawing elements on the display.
Other features and advantages of the patent invention will be apparent from
the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout
the figure thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of
the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the
description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image processing apparatus;
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing image processing of the present invention;
FIG. 3 shows intermediate drawing conditions in a first embodiment;
FIG. 4 shows intermediate drawing conditions in a second embodiment;
FIG. 5 shows intermediate drawing conditions in a third embodiment; and
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing image processing in a fourth embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows an image processing apparatus in an embodiment mode of the present invention.
In the figure, reference numeral
1 denotes a CPU which executes a program
for controlling this apparatus;
2, a keyboard for data input;
3,
a display on which a document image is displayed;
4, a hard disk which stores
a document;
5, a ROM which stores the program for controlling the apparatus
and necessary information in advance; and
6, a RAM which is utilized as
various work areas, in which an off-screen buffer for storing an image drawn off-screen
(on a virtual screen) is assumed to be secured. Reference numeral
7 denotes
a drawing unit which draws a document image off-screen or on the display
3
(on-screen), and
11 denotes a data bus which transfers various kinds of
data. The drawing unit
7 includes: an off-screen drawing unit
8 which
develops (draws) drawing elements in a document off-screen one by one; a display
drawing unit
9 which draws contents developed (drawn) off-screen on the
display
3; and an intermediate drawing check unit
10 which checks
whether or not the contents which have already been developed (drawn) off-screen
by the off-screen drawing unit
8 are developed (drawn) on the display by
the display drawing unit
9.
Note that, the image processing apparatus of this embodiment mode is assumed
to be realized by a program running on a computer. However, the computer may be
constituted by one device or may be constituted by a plurality of devices. In addition,
in this embodiment mode, a control program corresponding to a flowchart to be described
later is assumed to be stored in a ROM. However, the control program may be stored
in another internal storage medium such as a hard disk, or may be stored in an
external storage medium such as a floppy (R) disk or a CD-ROM and read and executed
if necessary, or may be received from an external device via a network and executed.
First Embodiment
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing image processing performed by the image processing apparatus.
The CPU
1 executes a control program stored in the ROM
5, which
corresponds to the flowchart of FIG. 2, thereby performing control to draw a document
image in the hard disk
4 on the display
3.
In step S
1, a document to be developed is read from the hard disk
4,
and one of drawing elements of the document is developed (drawn) off-screen by
the off-screen drawing unit
8 in the drawing unit
7. Note that the
drawing element is a character, a line-drawing, an image, or the like included
in a document.
In step S
2, the CPU
1 controls the intermediate drawing check unit
10 to check whether or not the drawing element drawn off-screen in step
S
1 satisfies intermediate drawing conditions.
As shown in FIG. 3, conditions described below are used as examples of the intermediate
drawing conditions.
Condition 1: 50th line-drawing
Condition 2: Line-drawing having more than 1000 pixels width.
Condition 3: Line-drawing having more than 1000 pixels height
Condition 4: Line-drawing having more than 1000 pixels length
Condition 5: 5th image
Condition 6: Image having more than 200 pixels width
Condition 7: Image having more than 200 pixels height
Condition 8: Image having more than 3000 dimensions
Condition 9: Image having more than 24 bit/pixel
Condition 10: 3000th character
Condition 11: Character having more than 500 pixels width
Condition 12: Character having more than 500 pixels height
If at least one condition among these conditions is satisfied, the image processing
proceeds to step S
3. If no condition is satisfied, the image processing
proceeds to step S
4.
In step S
3, the CPU
1 controls the display drawing unit
9
to draw contents, which have been developed (drawn) off-screen to that point, on
the display
3. Thus, a user can check the drawn contents which have been
processed to that point.
Next, in step S
4, again, the CPU
1 controls the intermediate
drawing check unit
10 to check if all the drawing elements included in the
document to be developed have been developed (drawn) off-screen. If all the drawing
elements have been developed (YES in S
4), the image processing proceeds
to step S
5. If all the drawing elements have not been developed (NO in S
4),
the image processing returns to step S
1, and the next one of the drawing
elements is developed (drawn) off-screen.
In step S
5, the CPU
1 transfers an off-screen image, which is created
by developing all the drawing elements off-screen, to the display
3 (on-screen)
and draws an image thereon.
As described above, according to this embodiment, a comfortable image processing
apparatus can be provided with which, even in the case where there are a large
number of drawn contents and image processing takes long time, an intermediate
state is indicated to a user, thereby enabling the user to check a document quickly
and reduce displeasure of the user.
In addition, by setting the intermediate drawing conditions properly, intermediate
drawing can be performed at appropriate timing.
Second Embodiment
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 4 shows another example of the intermediate drawing conditions used by
the intermediate drawing check unit
10 in step S
2 of FIG. 2. In this
example, the check in step S
2 is performed after adjusting a threshold value
of each condition as described below based on a type of an OS for operating the
image processing apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 4, conditions described below are used as the intermediate drawing
conditions. Note that the check is performed after adjusting the conditions as
described below for each OS as shown in FIG. 4. Note that the Windows (registered
trademark) series of Microsoft Corporation are used as examples of the OS in this embodiment.
Condition 1: 50th line-drawing
Condition 2: Line-drawing having more than 1000 pixels width.
Condition 3: Line-drawing having more than 1000 pixels height
Condition 4: Line-drawing having more than 1000 pixels length
Condition 5: 5th image
Condition 6: Image having more than 200 pixels width
Condition 7: Image having more than 200 pixels height
Condition 8: Image having more than 3000 dimensions
Condition 9: Image having more than 24 bit/pixel
Condition 10: 3000th character
Condition 11: Character having more than 500 pixels width
Condition 12: Character having more than 500 pixels height
Threshold of each condition shall be adjusted based on OS type as follows.
| |
|
| |
Windows (registered trademark) 95: |
0.5 times |
| |
Windows (registered trademark) 98: |
0.6 times |
| |
Windows (registered trademark) ME: |
0.7 times |
| |
Windows (registered trademark) NT: |
0.8 times |
| |
Windows (registered trademark) 2000: |
0.9 times |
| |
Windows (registered trademark) XP: |
1.0 times |
| |
|
When the above-mentioned conditions are used, for example, in the case where
the OS is Windows (registered trademark) 95, a threshold value 50 of the condition
1 is adjusted as 50×0.5=25. If the line-drawing has been performed for the
25th time, the CPU
1 checks that the condition 1 is satisfied and the image
processing proceeds to step S
3. The determines is also performed for the
other OSs and the other conditions after the threshold values are adjusted in the
same manner.
As described above, in the second embodiment, the same effect as in the first
embodiment can be obtained and, at the same time, meticulous image processing control
according to a processing capability of an OS can be performed.
Third Embodiment
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 5 shows another example of the intermediate drawing conditions used by
the intermediate drawing check unit
10 in step S
2 of FIG. 2. In this
example, the check in step S
2 is performed after adjusting a threshold value
of each condition as described below based on its CPU operating clock.
As shown in FIG. 5, conditions described below are used as the intermediate drawing conditions.
Condition 1: 50th line-drawing
Condition 2: Line-drawing having more than 1000 pixels width.
Condition 3: Line-drawing having more than 1000 pixels height
Condition 4: Line-drawing having more than 1000 pixels length
Condition 5: 5th image
Condition 6: Image having more than 200 pixels width
Condition 7: Image having more than 200 pixels height
Condition 8: Image having more than 3000 dimensions
Condition 9: Image having more than 24 bit/pixel
Condition 10: 3000th character
Condition 11: Character having more than 500 pixels width
Condition 12: Character having more than 500 pixels height
Threshold of each condition shall be adjusted based on CPU clock as follows.
(Threshold)=(above threshold)×(CPU clock)/(1 GHz)
When the above-mentioned conditions are used, for example, in the case where
the CPU clock is 0.8 GHz, a threshold value of the condition
1 being 50
is adjusted as 50×0.8/1=40. If the line-drawing has been performed for the
40th time, the CPU
1 determines that the condition 1 is satisfied and the
image processing proceeds to step S
3. The check is also performed for the
other clock and the other conditions after the thresholds are adjusted in the same manner.
As described above, in the third embodiment, the same effect as in the first
embodiment
can be obtained and, at the same time, meticulous image processing control according
to a processing capability of a CPU can be performed.
Fourth Embodiment
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an image processing procedure of a fourth embodiment,
which is another example of the image processing of FIG. 2. In the first embodiment,
the check in step S
2 is performed every time one drawing element is developed
off-screen. However, in the fourth embodiment, check in step S
62 is performed
every time drawing elements of a predetermined number α are developed off-screen.
In step S
6 of FIG. 6, a document to be developed is read from the hard
disk
4, and α drawing elements of the document is developed (drawn)
off-screen by the off-screen drawing unit
8 in the drawing unit
7.
Note that α is a positive integer set in advance.
In step S
62, in the intermediate drawing check unit
10, it is checked
whether or not any one of the drawing elements, drawn off-screen in step S
61
satisfies intermediate drawing conditions. As shown in FIG. 3, conditions described
below are used as the intermediate drawing conditions.
Condition 1: 50th line-drawing
Condition 2: Line-drawing having more than 1000 pixels width.
Condition 3: Line-drawing having more than 1000 pixels height
Condition 4: Line-drawing having more than 1000 pixels length
Condition 5: 5th image
Condition 6: Image having more than 200 pixels width
Condition 7: Image having more than 200 pixels height
Condition 8: Image having more than 3000 dimensions
Condition 9: Image having more than 24 bit/pixel
Condition 10: 3000th character
Condition 11: Character having more than 500 pixels width
Condition 12: Character having more than 500 pixels height
If at least one condition among these conditions is satisfied, the image processing
proceeds to step S
3. If no condition is satisfied, the image processing
proceeds to step S
4. The subsequent processing is the same as in the first
embodiment, so that its description will be omitted.
As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, a comfortable image processing
apparatus can be provided with which, even in the case where there are a large
number of drawn contents and image processing takes long time, an intermediate
state is indicated to a user, thereby enabling the user to check a document quickly
and reduce displeasure of the user.
Fifth Embodiment
In the above-mentioned embodiments, the CPU
1 controls the intermediate
drawing check unit
10 to check whether or not at least one of the intermediate
drawing conditions is satisfied. However, the check may be performed based on whether
or not a plurality of conditions set in advance among the intermediate drawing
conditions are satisfied.
For example, if a drawing element, which has been developed (drawn) off-screen
to that point, satisfies two or more conditions among the intermediate drawing
conditions, the image processing proceeds to step S
3. In that case, for
example, if only the condition 1 is satisfied, the image processing proceeds to
step S
4 and returns to step S
1. If another condition, for example,
the condition 7 is also satisfied, the image processing proceeds to step S
3,
and developed (drawn) off-screen contents are drawn on the display.
As described above in the first to fifth embodiments, according to the present
invention, even in the case where there are a large number of drawn contents and
image processing takes long time, an intermediate state is indicated to a user,
thereby enabling the user to check a document quickly and reduce displeasure of
the user. Also, it becomes less likely that the user wonders if hung-up of an application
has occurred.
*
